Bill 2 explained in plain English

Bill 2 is a 2022 Ontario budget bill that makes changes to six laws and creates a new borrowing law, including adjustments to tax credits, changes to transit governance, removal of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board's required Toronto location, and new insurance fraud reporting requirements.

Bill 2, the Plan to Build Act (Budget Measures), 2022, is an Ontario budget bill that makes changes to six different Ontario laws and creates one new law. The bill received Royal Assent on September 8, 2022. The bill makes the following main changes: 1. **City of Toronto Transit System**: It allows the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to enter into agreements with municipalities or local boards so they can operate or maintain parts of local bus or transit systems within Toronto. These agreements are not considered sales or outsourcing under labour law. 2. **Insurance Act**: It requires insurance companies to provide information about automobile insurance fraud to the Chief Executive Officer or a designated agency. The law allows this agency to collect and use personal information to detect fraud. Technical corrections are also made to the French versions of the law. 3. **Venture Ontario**: The Ontario Capital Growth Corporation is renamed to Venture Ontario (or "Croissance Ontario" in French). 4. **Ontario Loan Act, 2022**: A new law is created that allows Ontario to borrow up to $24.2 billion. Orders authorizing borrowing must be made by December 31, 2024, and all money must be borrowed by December 31, 2025 (unless an agreement was in place). 5. **Tax Credits and Changes**: Several changes are made to Ontario's Taxation Act: - The low-income tax credit increases from $850 to $875 for 2022 and later tax years - A new "Ontario seniors care at home tax credit" is created for eligible seniors aged 69 or older (or those with spouses 70 or older) who are residents of Ontario. The credit can be up to $1,500 per year and is based on medical expenses claimed by the individual - The Ontario book publishing tax credit is adjusted to no longer apply to books published in 2020 or 2021 - The regional opportunities investment tax credit deadline is extended from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023 6. **Workplace Safety and Insurance Board**: A requirement that the main offices of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board must be in Toronto is removed, allowing the Board to relocate its offices elsewhere. Most of these changes came into force on September 8, 2022 (the date of Royal Assent), though some provisions (such as the TTC and Insurance Act changes) come into force on a date to be set by the government later.