Bill 37 explained in plain English
Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act, 2021
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
This Ontario Act enacts the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, replacing the previous Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007, to improve care, safety, and standards in long-term care homes and amends related legislation.
This Ontario law, titled "Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act, 2021," enacts the "Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021." It repeals the former "Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007" and replaces it with new provisions for long-term care homes. Key changes include establishing residents' rights, setting targets for direct care hours, introducing new quality improvement measures, and updating regulations for admissions, operations, licensing, and enforcement. The Act also makes consequential amendments to numerous other Ontario statutes and amends the "Retirement Homes Act, 2010." The new "Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021" aims to improve the quality of care, safety, and oversight in long-term care homes.
- Enacts the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021.
- Repeals the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007.
- Amends various other Ontario Acts.
- Amends the Retirement Homes Act, 2010.
- Residents of long-term care homes
- Licensees of long-term care homes
- Staff of long-term care homes
- Family members and caregivers of residents
- Placement coordinators
- The Minister of Long-Term Care
- The Director (as appointed under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021)
- Inspectors appointed under the Act
- The Residents' Council and Family Council in long-term care homes
- Municipalities and boards of management responsible for municipal and First Nations homes
- The Agency (as defined in the Connecting Care Act, 2019)
- Various other provincial government ministries and agencies
- Residents have a Bill of Rights that must be respected and promoted.
- Licensees must ensure residents receive care based on a plan of care developed with resident participation.
- Targets are set for average hours of direct care to be provided by personal support workers, nurses, and allied health professionals.
- Licensees must implement continuous quality improvement initiatives.
- Licensees must have policies to minimize the restraining and confining of residents.
- Licensees must provide specific information to residents and their families.
- Licensees must ensure staff receive appropriate training.
- Licensees must have emergency plans that address epidemics and pandemics.
- Inspectors have powers of entry, inspection, and questioning.
- The Director can issue compliance orders, orders for funding to be returned or withheld, orders requiring management, and administrative penalties.
- Licenses can be suspended or revoked for non-compliance.
- Licensees must report certain matters to the Director.
- Whistle-blowing protection is provided for individuals who disclose information.
- The Act received Royal Assent on December 9, 2021.
- The Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent (December 9, 2021), unless otherwise proclaimed.
- Targets for direct care hours must be achieved by March 31, 2022, March 31, 2023, March 31, 2024, and March 31, 2025.
- The Act allows for funding to be provided by the Minister to long-term care homes, with conditions that can be attached.
- Licensees may charge residents for basic and preferred accommodation, as well as other services, according to regulations.
- The Act allows for the recovery of costs for work or activities performed by the Minister or Agency by withholding funding.
- Administrative penalties can be imposed on licensees for non-compliance.
- Inspectors can issue written notifications, compliance orders, or notices of administrative penalty.
- The Director can suspend or revoke licenses.
- The Director can appoint a long-term care home supervisor to operate a home.
- Licensees can be ordered to pay administrative penalties, with amounts not exceeding $250,000.
- Failure to comply with orders or requirements under the Act can result in offences and penalties, including fines for individuals and corporations.
- The specific details of many requirements, such as care standards, the composition of boards of management, and the definition of certain terms, are to be provided for in regulations made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
- The Act indicates that certain provisions are subject to regulations, meaning their precise application may depend on future regulatory details.
- The Act allows for the Minister to establish a Long-Term Care Quality Centre, but its specific functions beyond those listed are subject to regulations.
- The Act allows for the possibility of additional targets for direct care hours to be established by regulation.
- The application of some provisions depends on the discretion of the Minister or Director, such as decisions regarding public consultation or the issuance of licenses.
This Act establishes new rules and requirements for long-term care homes in Ontario.
Source: SCHEDULE 1
This Act is replaced by the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021.
Source: SCHEDULE 1, SECTION 204
Several sections of this Act are amended, including requirements for licensees to provide information on accommodation and prices, limitations on inspector reports, powers of the Registrar in extraordinary circumstances, and rules for public inspection of records.
Source: SCHEDULE 3
Consequential amendments are made to numerous other Acts to reflect the repeal of the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007, and the enactment of the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021.
Source: SCHEDULE 2
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.
How this data is sourced