Bill 171 explained in plain English
Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act, 2024
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 43rd Parliament, 1st 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 171 replaces the Veterinarians Act with a new Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024, that creates a unified College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario to regulate veterinarians and veterinary technicians, modernizing governance, broadening authorized activities, and updating professional oversight in Ontario.
Bill 171 is a major overhaul of how veterinary professionals are regulated in Ontario. It replaces the old Veterinarians Act with a new Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024. The bill creates a single College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario to govern both veterinarians and veterinary technicians (who are regulated for the first time under this new law). Previously, only veterinarians were regulated by a college; veterinary technicians were governed separately by a professional association. Key changes include: **Governance**: The new College will be led by a Council with elected veterinarian and veterinary technician members, plus appointed public members and university faculty representatives. **Who can practice**: The law allows veterinary technicians to become licensed members of the College and carry out certain authorized activities under the supervision or delegation of veterinarians. Non-members (like other animal care professionals) may also be permitted to carry out certain activities under specific regulations. **Professional activities**: The law lists authorized veterinary activities, such as diagnosing diseases, prescribing drugs, performing procedures, and ordering tests. Non-veterinarian professionals (chiropractors, pharmacists, and others) may be permitted to carry out certain activities. **Licensing and accreditation**: The College issues licenses to veterinarians and veterinary technicians, and certificates of accreditation to veterinary facilities. The law sets out processes for applications, renewals, refusals, and hearings. **Complaints and discipline**: The law establishes processes for members to report concerns about other members, handles public complaints, conducts investigations, and holds discipline hearings. It also includes a quality assurance program to monitor members' competence. **Professional corporations**: Members can practice through professional corporations if authorized by the College. **Transition**: Existing veterinarians and facilities are automatically transitioned into the new system. A temporary "Transition Council" will handle the changeover until a regular Council is established. **Commencement**: Most of the bill came into force on June 6, 2024 (Royal Assent), but key parts of the new Act will come into force on a date to be proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
- Enacts the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024, which replaces the Veterinarians Act and creates a unified College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario to regulate both veterinarians and veterinary technicians
- Creates a new governance structure with a Council composed of elected veterinarian and veterinary technician members, appointed public members, and university faculty representatives
- Grants veterinary technicians regulated professional status for the first time through licensure by the College
- Establishes a system of authorized veterinary activities that members may perform, including diagnosis, treatment, prescribing, procedures, and laboratory ordering
- Allows non-members (such as chiropractors and pharmacists) to carry out prescribed authorized activities under specified conditions and regulations
- Creates licensing, accreditation, and disciplinary processes including application review, refusals, hearings, appeals, and quality assurance programs
- Establishes complaint processes for the public and mandatory reporting obligations for members regarding fitness to practice and disciplinary findings
- Allows members to establish and practice through regulated professional corporations
- Sets out enforcement mechanisms including two categories of offences (Type A and Type B) with different penalties
- Authorizes the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to oversee and direct the College's activities and appoint supervisors if necessary
- Provides transitional arrangements for existing veterinarians, veterinary technicians, facilities, and orders to move from the old regulatory framework to the new one
- Amends multiple other Ontario statutes to update references from the Veterinarians Act and College of Veterinarians of Ontario to the new Act and College
- Repeals the Veterinarians Act
- Amends the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians Act, 1993, removing its power to grant professional designations (now done by the new College) and updating its governance structure
- Veterinarians licensed in Ontario
- Veterinary technicians (now regulated for the first time as licensed members of the College)
- Veterinary facility operators and owners
- Members of the public who own or are responsible for animals
- Students in accredited veterinary medicine and veterinary technician programs
- Other animal care professionals (chiropractors, pharmacists, others) who may carry out certain prescribed activities
- Employees and agents of veterinary facilities
- Professional corporations established by veterinarians to practice veterinary medicine
- The College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario (the new regulatory body)
- The former College of Veterinarians of Ontario (now continued as the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario)
- The Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians (governance structure and powers modified)
- The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (oversight and directional authority)
- The Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (hears appeals of certain College decisions)
- Veterinary members and veterinary technician members must comply with the Act, regulations, standards, and any terms, conditions, or limitations on their license
- Members must cooperate with quality assurance assessments and provide records when requested
- Members must report to the Registrar: findings of guilt for prescribed offences, professional negligence or malpractice findings, findings by other veterinary or professional bodies, charges for prescribed offences with bail conditions, and impairment of fitness to practice by other members
- Members may hold and practice through professional corporations if authorized by the College
- Members have the right to make written submissions to committees and request hearings or reviews by the Board before adverse decisions take effect
- Members have the right to appeal certain committee decisions to Divisional Court
- Veterinary technician members have the right to use the titles 'Registered veterinary technician', 'Registered veterinary technologist', 'veterinary technician', or 'veterinary technologist' (and variations) exclusively
- Only veterinarian members may use the title 'veterinarian', 'veterinary surgeon', or 'doctor' (and variations) while engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine
- Members must not use restricted terms like 'veterinary facility' unless they hold a certificate of accreditation
- Facility operators must ensure the facility complies with accreditation standards and allow inspectors to enter and inspect the facility and records
- Members may carry out authorized activities only as permitted by their license, the Act, and regulations
- Members must preserve confidentiality of information obtained in their professional duties, except where specifically permitted
- Employers of persons who contravene the Act may be held liable for offences
- The College has the obligation to establish and maintain standards of knowledge, skill, and professional ethics
- The College must establish and maintain a quality assurance program
- The College must maintain registers showing member licenses, terms, conditions, limitations, discipline history, and facility accreditations
- The College must make its registers publicly available on its website, subject to privacy protections
- The College must publish decisions of the Discipline and Fitness to Practise Committee (with optional name anonymity in certain cases)
- Bill 171 received Royal Assent on June 6, 2024
- Most of the bill (Sections 1-3 and Schedule 2 amendments to the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians Act) came into force on June 6, 2024
- The Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024 (Sections 1-98 of Schedule 1) comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor in Council (not yet proclaimed as of the provided information)
- Consequential amendments to other Acts (Sections 109-120 of Schedule 1) come into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor in Council
- Self-amendments 108(1) and (2) come into force on a day to be named by proclamation
- Amendment 108(3) regarding First Nation Officers comes into force on the later of: (a) when subsection 2(1) of the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 comes into force, or (b) when subsection 83(1) of the Veterinary Professionals Act comes into force
- The Transition Council must be established within two months after the commencement date (by August 6, 2024)
- The first regular Council must be established within nine months after the transition date
- Schedule 2 amendments to the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians Act come into force on a day to be named by proclamation
- Members must pay annual licensing fees to the College (amount to be set in by-laws)
- Members must pay application processing fees for licenses, certificates of accreditation, examinations, inspections, and other College services (amounts to be set in by-laws)
- Late payment penalties and interest charges apply to overdue fees (amounts to be set in by-laws)
- Discounts may be available for prompt payment (if provided in by-laws)
- The College may impose fines up to $25,000 on members for professional misconduct or incompetence
- Members found guilty of discipline may be ordered to pay the College's legal costs, investigation costs, and hearing costs
- Members may be ordered to pay all or part of the complainant's legal costs if proceedings are deemed unwarranted by the Committee
- Employers of persons who contravene the Act may face fines
- Professional corporations must comply with corporate governance requirements and may face fines if they commit offences
- The Minister may pay the College for expenses incurred in complying with Minister's requirements (at Minister's discretion)
- The College must submit annual audited financial statements to the Minister
- Type A offences: include carrying out authorized activities without a license, treating animals in circumstances where serious bodily harm is reasonably foreseeable, and other prescribed violations. Penalties: individuals convicted of a first Type A offence face fines up to $25,000; subsequent offences carry fines up to $50,000 or imprisonment up to 12 months, or both. Corporations face fines up to $50,000 for first offence and up to $200,000 for subsequent offences.
- Type B offences: include using restricted titles without authorization, falsifying registers or licenses, false representations in applications, violating publication bans, and professional corporation violations. Penalties: individuals convicted of a first Type B offence face fines up to $25,000; subsequent offences carry fines up to $50,000. Corporations face fines up to $50,000 for first offence and up to $200,000 for subsequent offences.
- Discipline Committee orders: if a member commits professional misconduct or is incompetent, the Discipline and Fitness to Practise Committee may: revoke or suspend the license, impose terms/conditions/limitations, reprimand the member, or impose fines up to $25,000. Fines are paid to the Minister of Finance.
- Fitness to practise orders: if a member's fitness to practice is impaired, the Committee may revoke or suspend the license, or impose terms/conditions/limitations.
- Interim orders: the Investigations and Resolutions Committee or health inquiry panel may immediately suspend or impose terms/conditions/limitations on a license if conduct exposes animals or persons to harm or injury.
- Obstruction: any person who obstructs an investigator or destroys evidence relevant to an investigation may be charged with an offence.
- Failure to comply: any person who fails to cooperate with investigators, assessors, or the Quality Assurance Committee, or who fails to produce required documents or submit to examinations, may be subject to enforcement action.
- One-year limitation period: prosecutions for offences must be commenced within one year after the date of the alleged offence.
- Orders of the College: the College may apply to Superior Court for an order directing a person to comply with the Act, regulations, or by-laws; an appeal lies to Divisional Court.
- The bill does not specify the exact date when the Veterinary Professionals Act will come into force; this will be set by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor
- Many specific requirements (such as fee amounts, detailed standards of practice, authorized activity scope, and qualification requirements) are to be determined through regulations made by the Council, Minister, or Lieutenant Governor in Council
- The bill does not specify which offences are 'prescribed offences' that must be self-reported by members; these will be prescribed in regulations
- The bill does not detail the composition or qualifications of the Transition Council's additional veterinary technician members beyond stating they will be appointed from the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians or by the Lieutenant Governor in Council
- The bill does not specify the timeline for transition of existing licenses and certificates of accreditation to the new framework
- The process for how the College will be financially self-supporting is not detailed; fee levels and other funding mechanisms are to be set by by-laws and regulations
- The bill does not specify which other professions may be permitted to carry out authorized activities; this will be determined through regulations
- The bill does not provide specific timelines for complaint investigation, alternative dispute resolution, or discipline hearings
- The bill does not specify what conduct by professional corporations will be considered professional misconduct
- The details of the quality assurance program, including continuing education requirements and assessment protocols, are to be prescribed in regulations
- The bill does not specify how the College will handle interprofessional collaboration with non-veterinary animal care providers
The old law that regulated only veterinarians is completely replaced with the new Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024, which regulates both veterinarians and veterinary technicians.
Source: Section 120; Schedule 1, Part XVII
A new law is created that comprehensively regulates veterinary professionals in Ontario, including licensing, discipline, quality assurance, and professional conduct.
Source: Schedule 1
The Association's power to grant professional designations is removed (now done by the new College); governance structure is updated with an executive director and board; membership and registration rules are modernized.
Source: Schedule 2
References to 'veterinarian under the Veterinarians Act' are updated to refer to 'veterinarian member' under the new Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024.
Source: Section 109
References to veterinarians are updated to refer to 'veterinarian members' under the new Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024.
Source: Section 110
References to the Veterinarians Act in relation to professional corporations are updated to refer to the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024.
Source: Section 111
References to 'members of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario' are updated to 'veterinarian members of the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario'.
Source: Section 112
References to 'veterinarian under the Veterinarians Act' are updated to refer to 'member within the meaning of the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024, as authorized under that Act'.
Source: Section 113
References to the College of Veterinarians of Ontario are updated to the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario.
Source: Section 114
References to 'veterinarian' are updated to refer to 'veterinarian member within the meaning of the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024'.
Source: Section 115
References to members of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario are updated to refer to the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario.
Source: Section 116
References to the Veterinarians Act and College of Veterinarians of Ontario are updated to refer to the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024 and College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario.
Source: Section 117
References to the Veterinarians Act are updated to refer to the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024.
Source: Section 118
References to the Veterinarians Act, College of Veterinarians of Ontario, and accreditation processes are updated to refer to the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024 and College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario.
Source: Section 119
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
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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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