Bill 6 explained in plain English
Ministry of Community and Social Services Amendment Act (Social Assistance Research Commission), 2016
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 41st Parliament, 2nd 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 6 of 2016 proposes to establish the Social Assistance Research Commission to advise the Minister of Community and Social Services on social assistance rates and policy in Ontario.
This bill, known as the Ministry of Community and Social Services Amendment Act (Social Assistance Research Commission), 2016, proposes to create a new advisory group called the Social Assistance Research Commission. This Commission would be established under the Ministry of Community and Social Services Act. Its main purpose would be to research and make recommendations regarding social assistance rates and policies in Ontario. The Commission would be composed of nine individuals with relevant expertise, including specific representation for people with disabilities, Indigenous individuals, and current or former recipients of social assistance. The bill also outlines the Commission's mandate, including defining regions based on economic geography and cost of living, recommending annual social assistance rates based on various necessities and additional costs for specific groups, and advising on policy related to precarious employment, child support, and workplace injuries. The findings would be reported annually to the Minister, who would then make them public along with a response. The Act would come into force six months after receiving Royal Assent.
- Establishes the Social Assistance Research Commission as an advisory group.
- Amends the Ministry of Community and Social Services Act to include the establishment of this Commission.
- Defines 'provincial social assistance' within the Act.
- Outlines the composition and appointment process for the Commission members.
- Details the mandate of the Commission, including regional definitions, annual rate recommendations, and policy recommendations.
- Requires the Commission to submit annual reports and potentially additional reports to the Minister.
- Requires the Minister to make the Commission's reports and their own responses public.
- Sets a commencement date for the Act.
- The Ministry of Community and Social Services
- Individuals receiving or who have received provincial social assistance (Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program)
- Individuals with disabilities
- Indigenous individuals
- Members of vulnerable groups
- The general public (through public reports)
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council shall establish the Social Assistance Research Commission.
- The Commission shall be composed of nine individuals appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
- Commission members must have specific expertise as outlined in the bill.
- The Commission has a mandate to recommend social assistance rates and policy.
- The Commission must submit an annual report.
- The Minister must make the Commission's reports public within 30 days of receipt.
- The Minister must prepare and make public a written response to the recommendations within 60 days of receipt.
- The Act comes into force six months after the day it receives Royal Assent.
- The bill outlines recommendations for determining social assistance rates based on the cost of basic necessities, including food, shelter, transportation, communication, and personal needs.
- The bill also includes considerations for additional expenses related to disabilities and barriers to employment.
- Remuneration for Commission members may be set by regulation.
- The bill does not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties related to the establishment or operation of the Commission.
- The bill states that members must have expertise 'in the opinion of the Lieutenant Governor in Council', which allows for discretion in appointments.
- The specific details regarding remuneration, terms of office, selection of vice-chairs, filling vacancies, and the retention of experts for the Commission are to be governed by regulations.
- The bill does not specify the exact timing for the first report or when the Lieutenant Governor in Council must establish the Commission, other than the general commencement provision.
Adds provisions to establish the Social Assistance Research Commission, including its mandate, membership, and reporting requirements. It also amends Section 1 by adding a definition for 'provincial social assistance'.
Source: Sections 1, 15, 17
Is referenced in the definition of 'provincial social assistance' and in the analysis of additional expenses for certain recipients.
Source: Section 1, Section 15 (7)(b)(ii), 15 (7)(b)(iii)
Is referenced in the definition of 'provincial social assistance'.
Source: Section 1
Is referenced in relation to the Commission's policy recommendations on the interaction between provincial social assistance and benefits under this Act.
Source: Section 15 (9)(c)
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
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
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.
How this data is sourced