Bill 39 explained in plain English
Education Amendment Act (Concussions), 2012
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill 39 amends the Education Act to allow the Minister of Education to establish policies and guidelines for school boards regarding student concussions and head injuries, and to provide limited civil liability protection for staff and volunteers acting in good faith.
This bill, the Education Amendment Act (Concussions), 2012, proposes changes to the Education Act in Ontario. It aims to address student concussions and head injuries by allowing the Minister of Education to create policies and guidelines for school boards on this matter. School boards would be required to follow these policies and develop their own that align with them. The bill also clarifies when school employees and volunteers involved in athletics or physical education might be protected from civil liability if they act reasonably and in good faith. A new section, "Concussions," would be added to Part XIII.1 of the Education Act, which is renamed "Pupil Health."
- Amends the Education Act to address concussions and head injuries in pupils.
- Renames Part XIII.1 of the Education Act to "Pupil Health".
- Authorizes the Minister of Education to establish policies and guidelines concerning pupil head injuries and concussions.
- Requires school boards to establish and comply with policies and guidelines on concussions that are consistent with the Minister's policies and guidelines.
- Specifies matters that must be included in policies and guidelines, such as information distribution, removal from activities, return to activities, and responsibilities of staff and volunteers.
- Gives the Minister the authority to make regulations on all aspects of pupil head injuries and concussions.
- Provides that board employees or volunteers involved in athletics or physical education will not be personally liable in civil proceedings for acts or omissions if they act reasonably, in good faith, and in accordance with the law and established policies and guidelines.
- Sets out that the Act comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
- Minister of Education
- Ontario school boards
- Pupils (students)
- Parents and guardians of pupils
- Board employees (teachers, staff)
- Volunteers involved in school athletics or physical education programs
- School boards are required to establish policies and guidelines respecting head injuries and concussions in pupils that are consistent with the Minister's policies and guidelines.
- School boards' policies and guidelines must address specific matters related to concussion prevention, identification, and management.
- Board employees and volunteers involved in athletics or physical education have a right to protection from personal civil liability if they act reasonably, in good faith, and in accordance with the law and established policies/guidelines.
- The Act comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
- The specific date on which the Act will come into force is not yet determined, as it depends on proclamation by the Lieutenant Governor.
- The extent of the Minister's regulations and specific policies, and the detailed requirements for school board policies, will be further defined through future ministerial actions and regulations, which are not fully detailed in the bill text itself.
The bill amends the Education Act, specifically by renaming Part XIII.1 to "Pupil Health" and adding a new section (321) to address concussions and head injuries. This new section grants the Minister of Education the power to create policies and guidelines, requires school boards to implement their own related policies, allows the Minister to make regulations, and includes provisions for civil liability protection for certain individuals.
Source: Sections 1, 2, and 3
Part XIII.1 of the Education Act is renamed "Pupil Health."
Source: Section 1
A new section 321 is added to the Education Act, titled "Concussions," which outlines the powers of the Minister to establish policies and guidelines, the obligations of school boards to create their own policies, the Minister's power to make regulations, and the conditions for civil liability protection for employees and volunteers.
Source: Section 3
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
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Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
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