Human Pathogens and Toxins Regulations (SOR/2015-44)

Security Clearances

Marginal note:Eligibility

• 11 (1) The Minister may only issue a security clearance to an individual who is 18 years of age or older.

• Marginal note:Refusal or revocation in past five years

  (2) An individual is not eligible for a security clearance in either of the following circumstances:

  • (a) the Minister has refused to issue a security clearance to them within the past five years, or

  • (b) the Minister has revoked their security clearance within the past five years.

• Marginal note:False or inaccurate information

  (3) Subsection (2) does not apply if any of the information that formed the basis of the refusal or revocation proves to be false or inaccurate.

Marginal note:Application

• 12 (1) An individual who wishes to obtain a security clearance must submit an application to the Minister.

• Marginal note:Content of application

  (2) The application for a security clearance must be signed and dated by the applicant and must contain all of the following information and documents:

  • (a) the applicant’s full name, all other names used by them and the details of any name changes;

  • (b) their gender, height, weight and eye and hair colour;

  • (c) their date and place of birth and

    • (i) if they were born in Canada, a copy of their birth certificate, or

    • (ii) if they were born outside Canada, the entry point and date of entry into Canada, or the intended entry point and date of entry into Canada, and, in the case of a naturalized Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, the number of the applicable certificate that was issued under the Citizenship Act or the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;

  • (d) their address and telephone number, at home and at work, and their email address;

  • (e) the addresses where they have lived during the past five years;

  • (f) the names and addresses of their employers during the past five years and of any post-secondary educational institutions that they attended during that period;

  • (g) their fingerprints, taken by any of the following:

    • (i) a Canadian police force,

    • (ii) a private company that is accredited by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to submit fingerprints to it for the purpose of a criminal record check, or

    • (iii) a department or agency of the Government of Canada;

  • (h) a copy of each of two pieces of valid government-issued identification, one of which must be photo identification;

  • (i) if they are not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, the following documents:

    • (i) a copy of their curriculum vitae that sets out their professional qualifications and work history,

    • (ii) a valid visa, if applicable, and

    • (iii) the results of a police record check from every jurisdiction where they have lived during the past five years, if that jurisdiction provides police record checks;

  • (j) the dates, destination and purpose of any travel for periods longer than 90 days outside their country of residence, excluding business travel for the Government of Canada, during the five years before the date of their application;

  • (k) if they have a spouse or common-law partner, all of the following information with respect to that spouse or common-law partner:

    • (i) their gender, full name, all other names used by them and the details of any name changes,

    • (ii) their date and place of birth,

    • (iii) if they were born in Canada, a copy of their birth certificate,

    • (iv) if they were born outside Canada, the information described in subparagraph (c)(ii), and

    • (v) their current address, if known;

  • (l) in the case of a former spouse or common-law partner who died or with whom the relationship ended within the past five years, the information described in subparagraphs (k)(i), (ii) and (v) and, if applicable, their date of death; and

  • (m) subject to subsection (4), a statement that certifies that they require the security clearance and the part of the facility for which it is required, signed and dated by both the applicant and either the licence holder or an applicant for a licence for that facility.

• Marginal note:One statement per facility

  (3) The application must include a statement described in paragraph (2)(m) in respect of each separate facility.

• Marginal note:Exception — inspectors

  (4) An inspector who is designated under section 40 of the Act need not include the statement described in paragraph (2)(m) in their application.

Marginal note:Record checks

• 13 (1) On receipt of a completed application, the Minister must conduct the following record checks for the purpose of making a determination of risk under section 14:

  • (a) a criminal record check;

  • (b) a check of the relevant files of law enforcement agencies, including intelligence gathered for law enforcement purposes;

  • (c) a Canadian Security Intelligence Service security assessment; and

  • (d) a credit check.

• Marginal note:Additional information

  (2) The Minister may, in writing, request any further relevant information from the applicant for the purpose of making the determination of risk under section 14.

Marginal note:Issuance — risk assessment

14 The Minister must issue a security clearance if the Minister determines that the applicant does not pose an undue risk to the health or safety of the public after considering the information obtained under sections 12 and 13 and taking the following factors into account:

• (a) the relevance of the information, including the circumstances of the underlying events or convictions, their seriousness, number and frequency, the date of the last event or conviction and any sentence or other disposition;

• (b) whether it is known or there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the applicant

  • (i) is or has been involved in — or contributes or has contributed to — activities that are directed toward or in support of the use of human pathogens or toxins to commit either criminal offences or acts of violence against persons or property,

  • (ii) is or has been involved in — or contributes or has contributed to — activities that constitute threats to the security of Canada within the meaning of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act,

  • (iii) is or has been a member of a terrorist group as defined in subsection 83.01(1) of the Criminal Code or is or has been involved in — or contributes or has contributed to — the activities of such a group,

  • (iv) is or has been a member of a criminal organization as defined in subsection 467.1(1) of that Act or participates or has participated in — or contributes or has contributed to — activities of such an organization as described in subsection 467.11(1) of that Act,

  • (v) is or has been a member of an organization that is known to be involved in or to contribute to — or in respect of which there are reasonable grounds to suspect involvement in or contribution to — activities that are directed toward or in support of either the use of human pathogens or toxins to commit criminal offences or the threat of or the use of acts of violence against persons or property, or

  • (vi) is or has been associated with an individual who is known to be involved in or to contribute to — or in respect of whom there are reasonable grounds to suspect involvement in or contribution to — activities referred to in subparagraph (i) or (ii), or who is a member of a group or organization referred to in any of subparagraphs (iii) to (v);

• (c) whether there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the applicant is in a position in which there is a risk that they could be induced to commit an act or to assist or abet any person to commit an act that might constitute an undue risk to the health or safety of the public;

• (d) whether the applicant has previously had a security clearance suspended or revoked;

• (e) whether the applicant has provided false or misleading information in or in connection with their application;

• (f) whether any foreign jurisdiction has refused to issue the equivalent of a security clearance to the applicant — or has suspended or revoked one — and the reason for the refusal, suspension or revocation; and

• (g) any other relevant information to enable the Minister to assess the risk.

Marginal note:Postponement — outstanding criminal charges

15 If a criminal charge is outstanding against the applicant for a security clearance that would, if they were found guilty of it, be considered by the Minister under paragraph 14(a), the Minister may postpone processing their application until the charge is disposed of by the courts and must notify the applicant in writing of the postponement.

Marginal note:Validity period

16 The Minister must establish the validity period of a security clearance in accordance with the level of risk posed by the applicant as determined under section 14. The validity period must not exceed five years.

Marginal note:Notice of issuance or refusal

17 When the Minister issues or refuses to issue a security clearance, the Minister must notify in writing every licence holder or applicant for a licence who has signed a statement described in paragraph 12(2)(m) with respect to the application for that security clearance.

Marginal note:Additional facility or part of facility

18 The holder of a security clearance who wishes to access a part of a facility described in section 33 of the Act not included in their application for the security clearance must provide the Minister with a statement described in paragraph 12(2)(m) in respect of each new facility or part.

Marginal note:Notice in writing

19 The holder of a security clearance must notify the Minister in writing without delay if they are found guilty of a criminal offence after the issuance of their security clearance.

Marginal note:Suspension

20 The Minister may suspend a security clearance on receipt of any of the following information:

• (a) new information described in any of sections 12 to 14 that was not available for consideration when the security clearance was issued;

• (b) a notice from the holder of the security clearance under section 19; or

• (c) the decision of a licence holder, under section 32 of the Act, to prohibit the holder of the security clearance from having access to the facility to which the licence applies, and their reasons for the decision under section 7.

Marginal note:Revocation

• 21 (1) The Minister must revoke a security clearance if the Minister determines that the holder of the security clearance poses an undue risk to the health or safety of the public after considering any of the information described in paragraphs 20(a) to (c).

• Marginal note:Notice to licence holders

  (2) On the revocation, the Minister must notify in writing every licence holder who has signed a statement described in paragraph 12(2)(m) with respect to that security clearance.

Marginal note:Reasons in writing

22 A written notice required under subsection 34(1) or 35(5) of the Act must contain the Minister’s reasons for the decision.

Accompaniment and Supervision

Marginal note:One person at a time

• 23 (1) For the purpose of section 33 of the Act, a person who holds a security clearance may at any time accompany and supervise only one person who does not hold a security clearance.

• Marginal note:Continuous supervision

  (2) A person who accompanies and supervises another person must at all times be in the same room as them and must monitor their activities at all times.

Marginal note:No access in certain circumstances

24 For the purpose of section 33 of the Act, a person must not enter a part of a facility even under accompaniment and supervision in either of the following circumstances:

• (a) their security clearance is suspended, or

• (b) they have previously been refused a security clearance or their security clearance has previously been revoked, and a new security clearance has not been issued to them since the refusal or revocation.