SOR-2024-94 Radiocommunication Act Exemption Order (Jammers — Royal Canadian Mounted Police)

Current to 2024-05-28 · last amended 2024-05-23

Contents

The Minister of Industry makes the annexed Radiocommunication Act Exemption Order (Jammers — Royal Canadian Mounted Police) under subsection 14(1) a of the Radiocommunication Act b. S.C. 2014, c. 39, s. 181 R.S., c. R-2; S.C. 1989, c. 17, s. 2

Ottawa, May 17, 2024

Le ministre de l’Industrie, François-Philippe Champagne Minister of Industry

Definition

s. 1 — Definition of Act

In this Order, Act means the Radiocommunication Act.

Exemptions

s. 2 — Employees of Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Subject to sections 3 to 10, employees of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Technical Investigation Services and other employees of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who are required to install, use, possess, manufacture, import or distribute jammers in the course of their duties or training are exempt from the application of subsection 4(4) and paragraph 9(1)(b) of the Act in respect of those activities.

s. 2(2) — His Majesty in right of Canada

His Majesty in right of Canada, as represented by any employee referred to in subsection (1), is exempt from the application of subsection 4(4) and paragraph 9(1)(b) of the Act in respect of the activities referred to in subsection (1).

s. 2(3) — Public Works and Government Services

The Minister of Public Works and Government Services and employees of the Department of Public Works and Government Services who are required to import jammers on behalf of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the course of their duties are exempt from the application of subsection 4(4) of the Act in respect of that importation.

s. 2(4) — His Majesty in right of Canada

His Majesty in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and any employee referred to in subsection (3), is exempt from the application of subsection 4(4) of the Act in respect of the importation referred to in subsection (3).

s. 2(5) — Response to solicitation of bids

A person or entity is exempt from the application of subsection 4(4) of the Act in respect of the offering for sale of a jammer if the offer is in response to a solicitation of bids in relation to the provision of jammers to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

s. 2(6) — Suppliers — Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Subject to sections 6 to 11, any person or entity that has entered into a contract with the Government of Canada for the provision of jammers, or services related to jammers, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or that performs any part of the work under that contract or any related subcontract — and that is required to install, use, possess, manufacture, import, distribute, offer for sale or sell a jammer in accordance with the terms of that contract — is exempt from the application of subsection 4(4) and paragraph 9(1)(b) of the Act in respect of those activities.

s. 2(7) — Purposes

The exemptions under subsections (1) to (6) are granted for the following purposes:

national security;

public safety, including with respect to penitentiaries and prisons;

international relations;

the investigation or prosecution of offences in Canada, including the preservation of evidence; and

the protection of property or the prevention of serious harm to any person.

Conditions

s. 3 — Notice

Before the exemption under subsection 2(1) is invoked, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police must provide a written notice to the Minister that contains the following information:

the postal and email addresses and telephone numbers of the headquarters or centre of operations where responsibility for jammers is principally exercised;

the names, titles, postal and email addresses and telephone numbers of contact persons at that headquarters or centre of operations; and

the names, titles, postal and email addresses and telephone numbers of the resource persons who are responsible for jammers.

s. 3(2) — Information — update and confirm

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police must

provide updated information to the Minister as soon as feasible after any of the information provided under subsection (1) changes; and

confirm the accuracy of the information provided under paragraph (a) and subsection (1) once a year, on or before the anniversary of the day on which this Order comes into force.

s. 4 — Training

An employee who carries out an activity under the exemption set out in subsection 2(1) must have received or be receiving specialized training in relation to that activity.

s. 5 — Access to directives

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police must ensure that

the employees of the Technical Investigation Services referred to in subsection 2(1) have access to the Technical Investigation Services directives that apply in respect of jammers; and

the other employees referred to in subsection 2(1) have access to the directives of their respective operational unit that apply in respect of jammers.

s. 6 — Restriction of interference or obstruction

An employee referred to in subsection 2(1) or a person or entity referred to in subsection 2(6) must make every reasonable effort to restrict a jammer’s interference with or obstruction of radiocommunication to the smallest physical area, the fewest number of radio frequencies, the appropriate power level and the minimum duration required to accomplish the intended purpose.

s. 7 — Minimize emissions and exposure

An employee referred to in subsection 2(1) or a person or entity referred to in subsection 2(6) that installs or uses a jammer must do so in a manner that minimizes unwanted emissions and the exposure of any person to radiofrequency fields.

s. 8 — Jammer characteristics

Any jammer that is used for the purposes of the exemption under subsection 2(1) or (6) must allow for adjustments to power levels and to the radiofrequencies that it can interfere with or obstruct.

s. 9 — Prevention of unauthorized access and storage

An employee referred to in subsection 2(1) or a person or entity referred to in subsection 2(6) must ensure that any jammer for which they are responsible

is accessible only to employees, persons or entities that are exempted from the application of subsection 4(4) of the Act; and

when not in use, is turned off and stored in a secure location or in a secure manner, including when it is being transported.

s. 10 — Records relating to use

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police must maintain records indicating, for each use of a jammer by one of its employees or by a person or entity referred to in subsection 2(6),

the name of the employee, person or entity, as the case may be, that used the jammer and the place at which, date on which and, if possible, time at which the jammer was used;

the radiofrequencies that were interfered with or obstructed; and

the purposes listed in subsection 2(7) for which the jammer was used.

s. 11 — Suppliers — Royal Canadian Mounted Police

A person or entity referred to in subsection 2(6) must not use a jammer except in the following circumstances:

the use is carried out under the supervision of an employee referred to in subsection 2(1); and

the purpose of the use is to test the functionality of the jammer, to perform maintenance on the jammer or to provide training in relation to jammers.

Repeal

The Radiocommunication Act Exemption Order (Jammers — Royal Canadian Mounted Police) 1 is repealed. SOR/2019-269

Coming into Force

s. 13 — Registration

This Order comes into force on the day on which it is registered.