Bill 76 explained in plain English
Lifejackets for Life Act, 2022
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
Ontario Bill 76 creates a new law requiring parents, guardians, and other supervising adults to ensure that children 12 years old or younger wear a lifejacket or personal flotation device while on pleasure boats or being towed on recreational water equipment, with penalties up to $200 for non-compliance.
Bill 76 enacts the Lifejackets for Life Act, 2021, which is a new Ontario law focused on water safety for children. The law requires parents and guardians to ensure that their children who are 12 years old or younger wear a personal flotation device (PFD) or lifejacket while on a pleasure boat that is moving, or while being towed behind a boat on recreational water equipment like water skis or wakeboards. If a child is being supervised by someone other than their parent or guardian—such as an adult friend or relative—that supervising adult must also ensure the child wears proper flotation equipment. The requirement does not apply if the child is inside an enclosed cabin on the boat. A "pleasure boat" is defined as any small vessel (9 metres or shorter) used only for recreation, not for transporting paying passengers. The lifejackets or PFDs must meet the standards set out in Canada's Small Vessel Regulations. If someone fails to follow this requirement, they can be fined up to $200. The Lieutenant Governor in Council (the provincial government) can make regulations to exempt certain types of boats or water equipment from this requirement. The law comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Enacts the Lifejackets for Life Act, 2021 as a new Ontario law
- Requires parents and guardians to ensure that children 12 years of age or younger wear a compliant personal flotation device or lifejacket while on a pleasure boat that is underway or while being towed on recreational water equipment
- Extends the same requirement to any person 18 years or older who is supervising the child (if not the parent or guardian)
- Exempts children who are in an enclosed cabin on a pleasure boat from the requirement
- Defines 'pleasure boat' as a recreational vessel 9 metres or shorter in length that does not carry paying passengers
- Defines 'recreational water equipment' as equipment such as water skis, wakeboards, and water tubes used for recreation in water
- Requires that personal flotation devices and lifejackets comply with Canada's Small Vessel Regulations
- Creates an offence with a penalty of a fine of not more than $200 for non-compliance
- Allows the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations exempting certain types of boats or equipment from the requirement
- Comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent
- Parents of children 12 years of age or younger
- Guardians of children 12 years of age or younger
- Adults (18 years of age or older) who supervise children 12 years of age or younger on pleasure boats
- Children 12 years of age or younger on pleasure boats or using recreational water equipment
- Pleasure boat operators and owners
- Persons charged with enforcing the law (police and provincial prosecutors)
- Parents and guardians must ensure children 12 years or younger wear a lifejacket or personal flotation device compliant with the Small Vessel Regulations (Canada) while on a pleasure boat that is underway
- Parents and guardians must ensure children 12 years or younger wear a lifejacket or personal flotation device compliant with the Small Vessel Regulations (Canada) while being towed on recreational water equipment
- Any supervising adult 18 years or older (if not the parent or guardian) must ensure the child wears compliant flotation equipment in these situations
- The duty applies whether the supervising adult is on the boat or not
- Parents and guardians (and other supervisors) are exempt from this requirement if the child is in an enclosed cabin
- Regulation-making power: the Lieutenant Governor in Council may exempt certain boats or equipment types from the requirement
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent (specific date not provided in the bill text)
- Persons convicted of non-compliance are liable to a fine of not more than $200
- Violation of the requirement is an offence
- On conviction, a person is liable to a fine of not more than $200
- The bill text does not specify the exact date Royal Assent was or will be received
- The bill does not provide details on what constitutes a compliant personal flotation device or lifejacket beyond reference to Canada's Small Vessel Regulations
- The bill does not specify the exact size or specifications of recreational water equipment covered by the requirement
- The bill does not clarify how the duty applies if a child is partially in and partially out of an enclosed cabin
- The bill does not specify what types of pleasure boats or equipment the Lieutenant Governor in Council might exempt by regulation
- The bill does not detail enforcement procedures, investigation practices, or how violations will be detected and prosecuted
- The bill text does not indicate whether the $200 fine is adjusted for inflation or can be increased by regulation
- The bill does not address situations where a child is in the water (in the water without being on a boat or towed) versus on a boat
A new Ontario law is created that imposes a duty on parents, guardians, and supervising adults to ensure children 12 years or younger wear compliant lifejackets or personal flotation devices while on pleasure boats or recreational water equipment, with enforcement through fines up to $200.
Source: Section 1(2), (3); Section 1(6)
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.
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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.
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