Bill 30 explained in plain English

This bill proposes to establish the Social Assistance Research Commission to advise the government on social assistance rates and policies in Ontario.

Bill 30, the Ministry of Community and Social Services Amendment Act (Social Assistance Research Commission), 2018, proposes to establish a Social Assistance Research Commission in Ontario. This Commission would be an advisory group tasked with recommending social assistance rates and advising on social assistance policy. The bill outlines the required expertise for its members, including those with knowledge of poverty, cost of living, and the specific economic and financial challenges faced by various vulnerable groups. The Commission would conduct research to define regions based on economic geography and cost of living, recommend annual social assistance rates for these regions, and provide policy recommendations on issues such as the interaction of social assistance with precarious employment, child support, and workplace injury benefits. The Commission's findings and recommendations would be submitted in annual reports to the Minister, who would then make them and a written response publicly available.