Bill 84 explained in plain English
Fewer Fees, Better Services Act, 2022
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 42nd 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 84 enacts two new acts (the At Your Service Act, 2022 and Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act, 2022) and amends several existing Ontario laws to streamline government services, establish service standards, prefer Ontario businesses in procurement, support Indigenous child welfare services, and make various administrative changes.
Bill 84 is a broad legislative package that makes changes to government services and various provincial laws. Here's what it does: **Two New Laws:** 1. **At Your Service Act, 2022** – This law requires Ontario government ministries and certain other organizations to meet service standards (maximum time periods to respond to applications, provide permits, or deliver services). If a ministry fails to meet a "guaranteed service standard," the person affected may receive a refund or compensation up to the amount of any fee paid. The government must publicly report on whether it meets these standards and how much compensation is paid out. 2. **Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act, 2022** – This law requires public sector organizations to prefer Ontario businesses when buying goods and services below a certain dollar amount. The exact definition of "Ontario business," the dollar thresholds, and how preference is given will be set by future regulations. **Changes to Existing Laws:** - **Child, Youth and Family Services Act** – Adds new ways to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children and families, including designating Indigenous service providers and establishing "circles of supportive persons." Also creates an exemption from residential care licensing for children in customary care (traditional family care arrangements) if certain conditions are met. - **Fiscal Sustainability, Transparency and Accountability Act** – Delays the budget release deadline for 2022-2023 from March 31 to April 30, 2022. - **Highway 407 East Act** – Updates the definition of Highway 407 East to clarify it extends between Highway 407 and Highway 35/115. - **Highway Traffic Act** – Allows the Minister to refund or waive vehicle permit validation fees for fees paid on or after March 1, 2020. - **Laurentian University of Sudbury Act** – Reduces the Board of Governors from a larger size to 16 members (10 elected, 5 appointed by the government, and the President). - **Licence Appeal Tribunal Act** – Adds the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021 to the list of laws under the tribunal's jurisdiction. - **Liquor Licence and Control Act** – Allows police officers to conduct certain inspections and investigations related to liquor licensing, in addition to designated inspectors and investigators. - **Mining Act** – Makes technical updates about consultation with Aboriginal communities in mining applications. - **Ministry of Infrastructure Act** – Requires the Minister to establish a centre for managing government property (identifying underused property, disposal of unneeded property, and alignment with government priorities). Most of these changes took effect on the date of Royal Assent (March 3, 2022), but some schedules have later commencement dates to be announced by proclamation.
- Enacts the At Your Service Act, 2022, requiring government ministries and prescribed entities to establish and comply with service standards, with potential refunds or compensation for failure to meet guaranteed service standards
- Enacts the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act, 2022, requiring public sector entities to prefer Ontario businesses in procurement for goods and services below a prescribed threshold amount
- Amends the Child, Youth and Family Services Act to establish prevention-focused Indigenous service providers, require provision of information about Indigenous services, establish circles of supportive persons for Indigenous children, and create an exemption from residential care licensing for customary care arrangements
- Amends the Fiscal Sustainability, Transparency and Accountability Act to extend the budget deadline for the 2022-2023 fiscal year from March 31 to April 30, 2022
- Amends the Highway 407 East Act to update the definition of Highway 407 East
- Amends the Highway Traffic Act to allow the Minister to refund or waive vehicle permit validation fees paid on or after March 1, 2020
- Amends the Laurentian University of Sudbury Act to reduce the Board of Governors to 16 members and make related governance changes
- Amends the Licence Appeal Tribunal Act to add the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021 to the acts under tribunal jurisdiction
- Amends the Liquor Licence and Control Act to authorize police officers to conduct specified inspections and investigations
- Makes technical amendments to the Mining Act regarding Aboriginal community consultation
- Amends the Ministry of Infrastructure Act to require establishment of a centre of realty excellence to manage government property
- Ontario government ministries and prescribed entities that provide services requiring permits, licenses, approvals, or decisions
- Members of the public applying for government permits, licenses, information, or approvals
- Ontario businesses conducting procurement with public sector entities for goods and services below prescribed thresholds
- First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children and families involved with child and family services
- Child welfare societies and prescribed service providers serving Indigenous populations
- Prevention-focused Indigenous service providers designated under the Act
- Members of the Laurentian University of Sudbury Board of Governors
- Parties involved in appeals before the Licence Appeal Tribunal (regarding towing and storage matters)
- Liquor licence holders and persons subject to liquor licensing inspections and investigations
- Police officers conducting inspections and investigations related to liquor licensing
- Mining companies and prospectors conducting mineral exploration and development in Ontario
- Aboriginal communities consulted in mining approval processes
- Government property owners and users affected by the centre of realty excellence initiatives
- Persons who paid vehicle permit validation fees on or after March 1, 2020
- Ministries and prescribed entities must comply with applicable service standards and publish them publicly
- Ministries and prescribed entities that fail to comply with guaranteed service standards may be required to pay refunds or compensation to affected persons (up to the amount of any fee paid)
- Public sector entities must give preference to Ontario businesses in procurement processes for prescribed goods and services below prescribed threshold amounts
- The government must regularly report publicly on ministry and entity compliance with service standards and amounts paid in compensation
- Child welfare societies and prescribed service providers must seek and provide information about Indigenous services to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children and families
- Child welfare societies and prescribed service providers must take prescribed steps to facilitate access to Indigenous services if the child or family requests them
- Child welfare societies and prescribed service providers must establish circles of supportive persons for Indigenous children and families if requested
- Persons providing customary care to Indigenous children in qualifying circumstances are exempt from residential care licensing requirements
- The Minister may refund or waive vehicle permit validation fees for fees paid on or after March 1, 2020, subject to prescribed eligibility classes and deadlines
- Police officers have specified powers to inspect premises and conduct investigations related to liquor licensing
- Royal Assent: March 3, 2022
- Most provisions came into force on March 3, 2022 (date of Royal Assent)
- Schedule 1 (At Your Service Act, 2022): March 3, 2022
- Schedule 2 (Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act, 2022): To be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor
- Schedule 3 (Child, Youth and Family Services Act amendments): To be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor
- Schedule 4 (Budget deadline extension for 2022-2023): March 3, 2022 (or deemed to have come into force on March 30, 2022 if Bill received Royal Assent after March 30, 2022)
- Schedule 5 (Highway 407 East Act): June 1, 2023
- Schedule 6 (Highway Traffic Act): Later of March 13, 2022 and Royal Assent (March 3, 2022)
- Schedule 7 (Laurentian University of Sudbury Act): To be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor
- Schedule 8 (Licence Appeal Tribunal Act): Later of when Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021 comes into force and Royal Assent
- Schedule 9 (Liquor Licence and Control Act): March 3, 2022
- Schedule 10 (Mining Act): March 3, 2022 (except Section 1, which comes into force later of when section 5 of Schedule 12 of Supporting People and Businesses Act, 2021 comes into force and Royal Assent)
- Schedule 11 (Ministry of Infrastructure Act): To be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor
- Refunds or compensation may be payable by government ministries and prescribed entities for failure to comply with guaranteed service standards, up to the amount of any fee paid
- The amount of compensation paid will be publicly reported
- The Minister may refund or waive vehicle permit validation fees that were paid on or after March 1, 2020
- Government may incur costs establishing and operating the centre of realty excellence for managing government property
- The bill does not prescribe specific penalties for non-compliance with service standards by government entities; instead, the remedy is compensation to affected persons
- No action or proceeding may be commenced against the Crown or a prescribed entity except as provided in the At Your Service Act (limited to refunds or compensation for guaranteed service standard breaches)
- Public sector entities that fail to prefer Ontario businesses in procurement may be subject to enforcement through funding arrangements and management board directives, though the bill notes requirements under this Act prevail over Management Board of Cabinet directives
- The bill does not specify enforcement mechanisms for other obligations (such as Indigenous service provider requirements or property management duties), suggesting these will be addressed through regulations or existing enforcement structures
- The At Your Service Act allows for regulations to prescribe service standards, guaranteed service standard criteria, which entities must comply, and what compensation is available; these details are not specified in the bill itself
- The Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act leaves key definitions (Ontario business, prescribed goods and services, threshold amounts, method of preference) to future regulations
- The Child, Youth and Family Services amendments reference 'prescribed requirements,' 'prescribed times,' 'prescribed circumstances,' and 'prescribed service providers' without specifying these in the bill
- The bill does not specify the amount of compensation payable for guaranteed service standard failures beyond stating it cannot exceed any fee paid; amounts will be set by regulation
- Commencement dates for several schedules are listed as 'to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor,' meaning the effective dates are not yet determined
- The bill does not specify which organizations qualify as 'prescribed entities' under the At Your Service Act
- Specific dollar thresholds and vehicle permit fee refund eligibility are not detailed in the bill; these will be set by regulation
- The bill does not specify what constitutes a 'circle of supportive persons' in practice or how such circles will be funded or operated
- The centre of realty excellence's specific mandate, budget, and staffing are not detailed in the bill
- The bill does not clarify how the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative will interact with federal procurement agreements or other inter-jurisdictional requirements
New law created requiring government ministries and prescribed entities to establish and comply with service standards that set maximum response times. If a guaranteed service standard is breached, refunds or compensation up to the amount of any fee may be payable. Regulations will set details on what qualifies as a guaranteed service standard, which entities are covered, and how compensation is calculated.
Source: Schedule 1
New law created requiring public sector entities (government agencies and broader public sector organizations) to prefer Ontario businesses when purchasing goods and services below a threshold amount set by regulation. Details on defining Ontario businesses and how preference is given will be determined by future regulations.
Source: Schedule 2
Adds definitions and sections (73.1, 73.2, 73.3) to support Indigenous child and family services. The Minister may designate prevention-focused Indigenous service providers. Child welfare societies and service providers must provide information about Indigenous services to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children and families, and establish circles of supportive persons if requested. Adds exemption from residential care licensing for customary care arrangements that meet prescribed requirements and have a declaration from the band or Indigenous community.
Source: Schedule 3
For the 2022-2023 fiscal year only, the budget deadline is extended from March 31 to April 30, 2022. This is a one-time exception.
Source: Schedule 4
Updates the definition of Highway 407 East to clarify that it extends from the easterly end of Highway 407 to Highway 35/115 and includes improvements and fixtures on the highway.
Source: Schedule 5
Gives the Minister authority to refund or waive vehicle permit validation fees that were paid or are payable for any part of a validation period occurring on or after March 1, 2020. Regulations will prescribe which classes of persons are eligible and set a deadline after which no refunds will be made.
Source: Schedule 6
Restructures the Board of Governors from its previous size to 16 members: 10 elected by Board members, 5 appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, and the President as an ex-officio member. Existing board members continue in their positions during transition. If there are more than 10 elected members before the change takes effect, the Board must select which 10 will continue within 30 days.
Source: Schedule 7
Adds the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021 to the list of acts for which decisions may be appealed from the Licence Appeal Tribunal to Divisional Court.
Source: Schedule 8
Authorizes police officers to conduct certain inspection and investigation powers related to liquor licensing, including powers to enter premises, request information, and inspect records. Designated inspectors and investigators retain their powers. Police officers are not subject to certain limitations that apply to designated inspectors and investigators.
Source: Schedule 9
Makes technical updates to clarify references to consultation with Aboriginal communities in mining prospecting and development approval processes.
Source: Schedule 10
Requires the Minister to establish a centre of realty excellence within the ministry to develop strategies for identifying and reusing underutilized government property, disposing of unneeded government property, and aligning property use with government priorities.
Source: Schedule 11
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.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
This bill does not have a published recorded division in the current official sources, so representative-by-representative vote counts are not shown.
No published representative vote breakdown
The current official sources do not publish a recorded division breakdown for this bill, so there is no representative-by-representative table to show.
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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