Bill 209 explained in plain English
Reducing Automobile Insurance Premiums by Eliminating Fraud Act, 2011
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 39th 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
This Ontario Act provides protections against retaliation for those who report automobile insurance fraud and mandates investigations into health professionals suspected of such fraud, with a goal of reducing insurance premiums.
Bill 209, the Reducing Automobile Insurance Premiums by Eliminating Fraud Act, 2011, creates protections for individuals who report fraudulent activities related to automobile insurance claims. It also establishes procedures for investigating health professionals suspected of involvement in such fraud and mandates notification to police if fraud is indicated. The Act aims to reduce automobile insurance premiums by discouraging and addressing fraudulent claims.
- Provides protection against retaliation for individuals who disclose information about another person's fraudulent activities related to automobile insurance claims to specified entities, or who give evidence in proceedings related to such activities.
- Defines retaliation to include actions such as dismissing, suspending, disciplining, intimidating, coercing, harassing, or imposing penalties on a person.
- States that no legal action can be taken against a person for making a disclosure or giving evidence, unless they acted maliciously or in bad faith.
- Allows the Registrar of a health profession College to appoint investigators to determine if a member has been involved in fraudulent activity in connection with automobile insurance claims.
- Grants these investigators the same powers, duties, and functions as investigators appointed under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991.
- Requires the Registrar to report the results of investigations to the College's Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee.
- Mandates that investigators appointed under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, also determine if a member has been involved in fraudulent activity related to automobile insurance claims when investigating professional misconduct or incompetence.
- Requires the Registrar to notify a police officer if an investigation suggests a member of a health profession College has been involved in fraudulent activity related to automobile insurance claims.
- Provides protection from legal action for investigators acting in good faith.
- Establishes that contravening section 1 (retaliation) is an offense punishable by a fine of up to $25,000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.
- States that the Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Individuals who disclose information or provide evidence regarding fraudulent automobile insurance claims.
- Employers or entities that might retaliate against whistleblowers.
- Members of health profession Colleges in Ontario.
- Registrars of health profession Colleges.
- Investigators appointed under the Independent Health Facilities Act and the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991.
- The Insurance Bureau of Canada.
- Insurance companies.
- Police officers.
- The general public (through potential impact on insurance premiums).
- Right to protection from retaliation for reporting or providing evidence of automobile insurance fraud.
- Right to protection from legal action for disclosures or evidence, unless made maliciously or in bad faith.
- Obligation of specified entities (inspectors, investigators, Directors, Registrars, insurance companies, Insurance Bureau of Canada) to receive disclosures.
- Obligation of Registrars to appoint investigators if reasonable grounds exist for suspecting fraudulent activity by a College member.
- Obligation of investigators to determine if fraudulent activity occurred.
- Obligation of Registrars to report investigation results.
- Obligation of investigators (under Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991) to also investigate potential automobile insurance fraud.
- Obligation of Registrars to notify police if fraud is suspected.
- Protection from legal action for investigators acting in good faith.
- The Act came into force on the day it received Royal Assent.
- Offences for contravening section 1 (retaliation) are subject to a fine of not more than $25,000.
- Contravention of section 1 (retaliation) is an offense punishable by a fine of up to $25,000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.
- The Act does not specify which specific entities are considered 'specified entities' for receiving disclosures beyond those listed in Section 1(1)(a)(i)-(vi).
- The Act does not define 'maliciously or in bad faith' for the purpose of overriding protection from legal action.
- The specific maximum amount of the fine for offences is stated, but not a minimum.
- The duration of imprisonment is stated as 'not more than 12 months', but not a minimum.
Investigators appointed under this Act can receive disclosures about fraudulent automobile insurance claim activities. Proceedings related to the enforcement of this Act can involve evidence of fraudulent activity.
Source: Section 1(1)(a)(i), (iii), (b)
Investigators appointed under this Act can receive disclosures about fraudulent automobile insurance claim activities. The Registrar of a College under this Act can appoint investigators for fraudulent activity related to automobile insurance claims. Such investigators have powers, duties, and functions as defined by this Act. The Registrar must report investigation results to the College's Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee established under this Act. Investigators under this Act must also investigate fraudulent automobile insurance claim activities. The Registrar must notify police if fraud is indicated.
Source: Section 1(1)(a)(ii), (iv), (b), Section 2(1), (2), (3), Section 3, Section 4
This is the new Act itself, establishing protections and investigation procedures.
Source: Short title section 8
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.
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