Bill 50 explained in plain English
Ambulance Amendment Act (Air Ambulances), 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 50 amends the Ambulance Act to establish a framework for designating and overseeing air ambulance service providers in Ontario, including provisions for ministerial directives, special investigators, supervisors, and whistleblower protection.
This bill, the Ambulance Amendment Act (Air Ambulances), 2012, amends the Ambulance Act in Ontario. It aims to provide a framework for the designation and oversight of air ambulance service providers. The amendments allow for the Minister to issue directives, for the Lieutenant Governor in Council to appoint special investigators and supervisors for these providers, and offer protection for whistle-blowers. It also includes provisions for continued air ambulance service providers incorporated outside of Ontario and clarifies liability protections for certain individuals and the Crown. The bill also makes related changes to offence provisions and regulation-making powers within the Ambulance Act.
- Establishes a new Part IV.2 in the Ambulance Act concerning Designated Air Ambulance Service Providers.
- Defines "designated air ambulance service provider" and "board of directors" in the context of these providers.
- Grants the Lieutenant Governor in Council the power to appoint provincial representatives to the board of directors of designated air ambulance service providers.
- Empowers the Minister to issue directives to designated air ambulance service providers, which must be followed.
- Allows regulations to deem certain provisions as part of agreements between Ontario and designated air ambulance service providers.
- Authorizes the Lieutenant Governor in Council to appoint special investigators to examine the operations, care, and services of designated air ambulance service providers.
- Grants special investigators powers similar to those of other investigators under the Act.
- Allows the Lieutenant Governor in Council to appoint a supervisor for a designated air ambulance service provider if deemed in the public interest.
- Specifies the powers of a supervisor, which may include exclusive exercise of the board of directors' powers.
- Outlines considerations for the Lieutenant Governor in Council or Minister when making decisions in the public interest regarding these providers.
- Provides protection against retaliation for individuals who disclose information to investigators or the Ministry concerning designated air ambulance service providers.
- Prohibits certain individuals and entities from discouraging or encouraging the failure to report information.
- Offers protection from legal action for certain individuals acting in good faith.
- Makes provisions for the continuation of air ambulance service providers incorporated outside Ontario.
- Amends existing sections of the Ambulance Act related to inspectors, investigators, and offence provisions.
- Introduces provisions for liability protection for the Crown and the Minister concerning actions taken under specific sections of the Act.
- Includes provisions for liability protection for special investigators and supervisors acting in good faith.
- Providers of air ambulance services in Ontario.
- The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council.
- Provincial representatives appointed to the boards of designated air ambulance service providers.
- Special investigators appointed to examine designated air ambulance service providers.
- Supervisors appointed to oversee designated air ambulance service providers.
- Employees and individuals associated with designated air ambulance service providers.
- The Crown in right of Ontario.
- Individuals who report concerns about designated air ambulance service providers (whistle-blowers).
- Designated air ambulance service providers must carry out directives from the Minister.
- Provincial representatives appointed to boards have the same rights and responsibilities as elected members, unless otherwise specified.
- Special investigators have the powers of an investigator under the Act and may have additional powers defined by regulation.
- Supervisors have the exclusive right to exercise the powers of the board of directors, unless the appointment specifies otherwise.
- Individuals are protected from retaliation for disclosing information related to designated air ambulance service providers.
- Certain persons are prohibited from discouraging whistle-blowing.
- The Crown and certain individuals acting in good faith are protected from legal action under specific circumstances.
- The Act comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor (Section 7(1)).
- Subsection 2(2) comes into force on the later of the day subsection 2(1) comes into force and the day subsection 211(1) of the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 comes into force (Section 7(2)).
- Obstruction of a special investigator or withholding/destroying information requested by them is prohibited (Section 7.4(3)).
- Retaliation against individuals who report concerns to an investigator or the Ministry is prohibited. Specific examples of retaliation include dismissal, discipline, suspension, or intimidation (Section 7.7).
- The specific day the Act comes into force is not yet proclaimed.
- The full scope of powers and duties for special investigators and supervisors may be further defined by regulations.
- The details of provisions that may be "deemed to be included" in agreements between Ontario and designated air ambulance service providers will be set out in regulations.
- The specific criteria for designating an "air ambulance service provider" will be detailed in regulations.
- The extent to which the 'Corporations Act' or 'Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010' applies to continued bodies is subject to the specific provisions of those Acts and Section 20 of this bill.
The bill amends the Ambulance Act to add new provisions for designated air ambulance service providers, including definitions, powers for appointment of representatives and supervisors, ministerial directives, and whistleblower protection. It also amends existing sections related to investigators and offence provisions.
Source: Sections 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
The bill amends a provision to change the reference from the 'Corporations Act' to the 'Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010' in relation to the appointment of provincial representatives to the board of directors of designated air ambulance service providers.
Source: Section 2(2)
The bill makes a consequential amendment to reflect the change from the 'Corporations Act' to the 'Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010' regarding the appointment of provincial representatives.
Source: Section 2(2)
This section is amended to expand regulation-making powers to include designating air ambulance service providers, powers of special investigators, provisions deemed in agreements, provincial representatives, performance standards, by-laws, articles of incorporation, and governance.
Source: Section 4
These subsections are amended to include "special investigator" alongside "inspector or investigator" when referring to investigations.
Source: Section 5
The bill clarifies that the Crown's liability is not relieved regarding torts committed by special investigators or supervisors, referencing subsections 5 (2) and (4) of this Act.
Source: Section 6(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.
Official textProcess Snapshot
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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