Bill 56 explained in plain English
9-1-1 Everywhere in Ontario 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 bill enacts the 9-1-1 Everywhere in Ontario Act, 2021, to ensure universal 9-1-1 access and improve call centre operations, and amends the Ombudsman Act to establish an Assistant Ombudsman for 9-1-1 oversight.
This bill, called the 9-1-1 Everywhere in Ontario Act, 2021, aims to improve 9-1-1 services across Ontario. It requires the Solicitor General to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place for all 9-1-1 calls to be answered by the appropriate emergency services or police. It also mandates that 9-1-1 call centres and emergency services use compatible computer systems by December 2023 for immediate information sharing, caller location tracking, and escalating alerts. The bill also requires the Minister to explore ways to improve communication for 9-1-1 operators, including investigating equipment and facilities for better understanding caller information and ensuring emergency resources for water rescues are identified and available. Additionally, it places obligations on 9-1-1 call centre operators regarding staffing, training, supervisor support, mental health resources, and system monitoring. The bill also amends the Ombudsman Act to create an Assistant Ombudsman specifically for overseeing 9-1-1 operations. This Assistant Ombudsman will help the Ombudsman with investigations into 9-1-1 services, provide information to families about investigations related to a deceased person, run public awareness campaigns about 9-1-1, and report annually on their activities.
- Enacts the 9-1-1 Everywhere in Ontario Act, 2021.
- Requires the Minister to ensure 9-1-1 infrastructure is in place for all calls across Ontario.
- Mandates compatible computer aided dispatch systems for 9-1-1 call centres and emergency services by December 2023.
- Requires the Minister to investigate measures to improve 9-1-1 call taker and dispatcher communication.
- Establishes responsibilities for 9-1-1 call centre operators regarding staffing, training, and support.
- Amends the Ombudsman Act to create an Assistant Ombudsman for 9-1-1 operations.
- Specifies the duties of the Assistant Ombudsman, including assisting investigations, public awareness, and reporting.
- Makes the Act come into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- The Solicitor General (or designated Minister)
- The Ombudsman
- Operators of 9-1-1 call centres
- 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers
- Supervisors of 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers
- Emergency responders (police, ambulance, fire services)
- Individuals across Ontario who dial 9-1-1
- Cellular service providers
- Members of the public utilizing 9-1-1 services
- The Minister must ensure 9-1-1 infrastructure is in place for all Ontarians.
- The Minister must ensure 9-1-1 call centres and emergency services use compatible computer aided dispatch systems by December 2023.
- The Minister must ensure infrastructure is in place for call takers to obtain updated location information from cellular providers.
- The Minister must investigate measures to improve communication for 9-1-1 personnel.
- 9-1-1 call centre operators must ensure appropriate staffing, training, and support for their personnel.
- 9-1-1 call centre operators must have compatible computer aided dispatch systems in place by January 1, 2024.
- 9-1-1 call centre operators must implement a policy addressing specific communication and operational matters.
- The Ombudsman shall designate an Assistant Ombudsman for 9-1-1 operations.
- The Assistant Ombudsman must assist with 9-1-1 investigations, conduct public awareness campaigns, and report annually.
- The bill comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Compatible computer aided dispatch systems must be in place by December 2023.
- 9-1-1 call centres must operate on compatible computer aided dispatch systems by January 1, 2024.
- The Assistant Ombudsman must prepare and make available an annual report on or before April 1 of each year.
- The bill does not specify the exact measures or equipment the Minister must investigate to assist 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers.
- The bill does not detail the specific professional certifications required by the Minister for 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers.
- The bill does not outline specific penalties for non-compliance with its provisions.
Establishes new requirements for 9-1-1 service provision and infrastructure in Ontario.
Source: Bill 56, Section 7
Creates the position of Assistant Ombudsman responsible for the oversight of 9-1-1 operations and defines their functions.
Source: Bill 56, Section 5
Defines 'Minister' in the 9-1-1 Everywhere in Ontario Act, 2021 as the Solicitor General or another member of the Executive Council assigned to administer the Act.
Source: Bill 56, Section 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