Bill 127 explained in plain English
Human Rights Code Amendment Act (Genetic Characteristics), 2013
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th 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 127 amends the Ontario Human Rights Code to prohibit discrimination based on genetic characteristics, with specific exceptions for certain insurance contracts.
This bill amends the Ontario Human Rights Code to add 'genetic characteristics' as a prohibited ground of discrimination. It makes it illegal to discriminate against someone based on their genetic traits, or based on their refusal to undergo or disclose the results of a genetic test. However, certain high-value insurance contracts are allowed to differentiate or exclude individuals based on genetic characteristics if it is for reasonable and bona fide grounds.
- Adds 'genetic characteristics' to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Ontario Human Rights Code.
- Establishes that the right to equal treatment includes protection from discrimination related to refusing genetic tests or their results.
- Specifies that certain insurance contracts are exempt from these new protections if they differentiate based on genetic characteristics for reasonable and bona fide reasons.
- Individuals in Ontario who may face discrimination based on their genetic characteristics.
- Employers, service providers, landlords, and organizations in Ontario.
- Insurers offering specific types of insurance policies (automobile, life, accident, sickness, disability, group insurance, and life annuities).
- Individuals who refuse to undergo or disclose results of genetic tests.
- The right to equal treatment without discrimination based on genetic characteristics in various areas, including services, employment, and accommodation.
- The right to equal treatment even if a person refuses to undergo or disclose genetic test results.
- An obligation for those covered by the code (e.g., employers, service providers) not to discriminate based on genetic characteristics.
- The Act came into force on the day it received Royal Assent.
- Certain high-value insurance contracts ($1,000,000 total or $75,000 per annum benefit) are permitted to differentiate, exclude, or prefer individuals based on genetic characteristics on reasonable and bona fide grounds.
- The bill text does not specify the exact process or forum for addressing alleged discrimination based on genetic characteristics, relying on existing Human Rights Code enforcement mechanisms.
- The precise definition of 'reasonable and bona fide grounds' for insurance differentiation is not detailed in the bill.
- The scope of 'high value' insurance contracts is defined by benefit amounts ($1,000,000 total or $75,000 per annum), but the specific types of insurers or products beyond those listed (automobile, life, accident, sickness, disability, group insurance, life annuity) are not further elaborated.
Adds 'genetic characteristics' as a prohibited ground of discrimination throughout the code, including in relation to services, goods, facilities, accommodation, contracts, employment, and organizational memberships.
Source: Sections 1, 2(1), 2(2), 3, 5(1), 5(2), 6, 10, 24(1)(a)
Introduces a new section that defines 'genetic characteristics' and clarifies that the right to equal treatment includes protection related to genetic testing.
Source: Section 10(1), 10(2), and new section 22.1
Adds a specific section allowing for exceptions in certain insurance contracts where differentiation based on genetic characteristics is reasonable and bona fide.
Source: New Section 22.1
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 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