OntarioDid Not Pass43rd Parliament, 1st Session

Bill 42 explained in plain English

Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee Act, 2024

Health & Health Care Democratic Institutions & Elections

Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

How This Type of Bill Becomes Law Official source

At a glance

Jurisdiction

Ontario Legislature

Legislature / Parliament

Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Session

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

Bill number

Bill 42

Full title

Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee Act, 2024

Current status

Did Not Pass

Latest event

Lost on division

Last updated

Mar 4, 2024

Sponsor

Kristyn Wong-Tam

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.

Chamber

Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Current Stage

Lost on division

Latest Activity

Mar 4, 2024

Sponsor

Kristyn Wong-Tam

Plain-language explanation

In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing

Short Version

Bill 42 establishes an advisory committee to make recommendations to the Ontario Minister of Health on improving access to and coverage for gender affirming health care.

What It Means

Bill 42 creates a new Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee in Ontario. The Ontario Minister of Health must set up this committee within 60 days of the law coming into force. The committee will be made up of appointed members, including people from the transgender, two-spirit, non-binary, intersex, and gender diverse communities, health care providers with experience serving these communities, and other members the Minister considers helpful. The Minister must make reasonable efforts to ensure the committee majority are members of these communities and that the committee reflects the diversity of these communities, including youth, seniors, Indigenous persons, racialized groups, persons with disabilities, persons who have experienced homelessness, persons engaged in sex work, persons in rural and remote areas, persons of diverse sexual orientations, and persons of diverse gender identities and expressions. The committee's job is to make recommendations to the Minister on how to improve access to and coverage for gender affirming health care in Ontario. Specifically, the committee must look at topics including enhancing coverage and access to gender affirming care, ensuring a range of health services is available, reducing wait times, ensuring equitable access across different groups, expanding insurance coverage for treatments not currently covered, adopting the informed consent model of care, and defining gender affirming health care procedures as lifesaving. The committee will consult with various health care providers and organizations in doing this work. The committee must submit its report with recommendations to the Minister within six months of being established. Within 90 days after receiving the report, the Minister must inform the Ontario Legislature of which recommendations the Minister thinks the government should implement. The law came into force upon receiving Royal Assent.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee that the Ontario Minister of Health must create within 60 days of the law coming into force
Requires the committee to include members from transgender, two-spirit, non-binary, intersex, and gender diverse communities; health care providers with experience working with these communities; and other members appointed by the Minister
Requires the Minister to make reasonable efforts to ensure the majority of committee members are from the communities listed above and that the committee reflects diversity within these communities
Gives the committee the mandate to make recommendations to the Minister on improving access to and coverage for gender affirming health care
Requires the committee to study and make recommendations on eight specific topics: enhancing coverage and access to gender affirming care, ensuring a range of health services is available, reducing wait times, ensuring equitable access, expanding insurance coverage for specific treatments, adopting an informed consent model, reducing referral requirements, and defining gender affirming health care procedures as lifesaving
Requires the committee to consult with specific health care providers and organizations including community health centres, Aboriginal Health Access Centres, nurse practitioner-led clinics, family health teams, Rainbow Health Ontario, World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health, and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Requires the committee to submit a report to the Minister within six months of being established
Requires the Minister to inform the Ontario Legislature within 90 days of receiving the committee's report on which recommendations the Minister proposes the government implement
Allows the Lieutenant Governor in Council to determine remuneration and expenses for appointed committee members, if money has been appropriated by the Legislature

Who Is Affected

Ontario Minister of Health - responsible for establishing the committee, appointing members, determining remuneration and expenses, and reporting to the Legislature
Members of the transgender, two-spirit, non-binary, intersex, and gender diverse communities - the focus of the committee's work
Health care providers with experience working with transgender, two-spirit, non-binary, intersex, and gender diverse communities - who must be included on the committee
Health care organizations and associations including community health centres, Aboriginal Health Access Centres, nurse practitioner-led clinics, family health teams, Rainbow Health Ontario, World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health, and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - who will be consulted by the committee
Ontario Legislature - who will receive the Minister's report on which recommendations to implement

Rights, Duties, Or Obligations

The Minister of Health must establish the Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee
The Minister must ensure the committee includes members from the specified communities and groups
The Minister must make all reasonable efforts to ensure the committee majority are from transgender, two-spirit, non-binary, intersex, and gender diverse communities
The Minister must make all reasonable efforts to ensure the committee reflects the diversity within these communities including the ten specified groups
The committee must make recommendations to the Minister on improving access to and coverage for gender affirming health care
The committee must inquire into the eight specified matters related to gender affirming health care
The committee must consult with specified health care providers and organizations
The committee must submit a report with recommendations to the Minister within six months of being established
The Minister must inform the Legislature within 90 days of receiving the committee's report on which recommendations the Minister proposes to implement

Important Dates

The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent
The Minister of Health must establish the committee no more than 60 days after the Act comes into force
The committee must submit its report to the Minister within six months of being established
The Minister must inform the Legislature of recommendations to implement within 90 days of receiving the committee's report

Financial Or Tax Impacts

Remuneration and expenses for appointed committee members may be determined by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, but only if money has been appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose
The bill does not specify the amount of funding that will be required

Enforcement Or Penalties

The bill does not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties

Uncertainties Or Limits

The bill does not specify what happens if the Minister does not agree with the committee's recommendations or chooses not to implement them
The bill does not specify the size of the committee or how many members must be appointed
The bill does not specify how long committee members will serve or whether they can be reappointed
The bill does not specify how the committee will operate, including meeting procedures or decision-making processes
The bill does not define what 'all reasonable efforts' means in the context of ensuring the committee's composition reflects diversity
The bill does not specify the amount of funding available for the committee's work or member remuneration
The bill does not specify what the Minister must do if the Legislature does not appropriate money for remuneration and expenses
It is unclear whether the committee will continue to exist after submitting its report or if it will be dissolved

Laws Or Regulations Affected

Health Insurance Act

referenced

The bill asks the advisory committee to examine how to expand insurance coverage for gender affirming treatments not currently covered under the Health Insurance Act

Source: Section 3(2), paragraph 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.

Official text

Process Snapshot

Step 1

First reading

Nov 16, 2022

Step 2

Second reading

Mar 4, 2024

Step 3

Committee review

Not reached yet

Step 4

Third reading

Not reached yet

Step 5

Royal assent

Not reached yet

Vote Summary

Yes

Abstain

Absent / Other

Final recorded vote

Mar 4, 2024

96 representative positions are recorded in this official snapshot for this vote.

Sponsor

Kristyn Wong-Tam

New Democratic Party of Ontario | Toronto Centre

Jurisdiction

Ontario Legislature

Representative Voting Breakdown

Vote badges include text labels so the table stays readable for everyone, even without color cues alone.

Representative	Role	Riding	Party	Vote	Notes
Kristyn Wong-TamSponsor MPP	MPP	Toronto Centre	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Adil Shamji MPP	MPP	Don Valley East	Ontario Liberal Party	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Aislinn Clancy MPP	MPP	Kitchener Centre	Green Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Andrea Hazell MPP	MPP	Scarborough—Guildwood	Ontario Liberal Party	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Bhutila Karpoche MPP	MPP	Parkdale—High Park	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Catherine Fife MPP	MPP	Waterloo	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Chandra Pasma MPP	MPP	Ottawa West—Nepean	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Chris Glover MPP	MPP	Spadina—Fort York	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Jeff Burch MPP	MPP	Niagara Centre	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens MPP	MPP	St. Catharines	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Jennifer K. French MPP	MPP	Oshawa	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Jessica Bell MPP	MPP	University—Rosedale	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Joel Harden MPP	MPP	Ottawa Centre	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
John Fraser MPP	MPP	Ottawa South	Ontario Liberal Party	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
John Vanthof MPP	MPP	Timiskaming—Cochrane	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Karen McCrimmon MPP	MPP	Kanata—Carleton	Ontario Liberal Party	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Lisa Gretzky MPP	MPP	Windsor West	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Lise Vaugeois MPP	MPP	Thunder Bay—Superior North	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Marit Stiles MPP	MPP	Davenport	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Mary-Margaret McMahon MPP	MPP	Beaches—East York	Ontario Liberal Party	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Mike Schreiner MPP	MPP	Guelph	Green Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Monique Taylor MPP	MPP	Hamilton Mountain	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Peggy Sattler MPP	MPP	London West	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Peter Tabuns MPP	MPP	Toronto—Danforth	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Sandy Shaw MPP	MPP	Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Stephanie Bowman MPP	MPP	Don Valley West	Ontario Liberal Party	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Stephen Blais MPP	MPP	Orléans	Ontario Liberal Party	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Ted Hsu MPP	MPP	Kingston and the Islands	Ontario Liberal Party	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Terence Kernaghan MPP	MPP	London North Centre	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Teresa J. Armstrong MPP	MPP	London—Fanshawe	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Wayne Gates MPP	MPP	Niagara Falls	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Amarjot Sandhu MPP	MPP	Brampton West	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Andrew Dowie MPP	MPP	Windsor—Tecumseh	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Anthony Leardi MPP	MPP	Essex	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Aris Babikian MPP	MPP	Scarborough—Agincourt	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Billy Pang MPP	MPP	Markham—Unionville	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Bobbi Ann Brady MPP	MPP	Haldimand—Norfolk	Independent	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Brian Riddell MPP	MPP	Cambridge	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Brian Saunderson MPP	MPP	Simcoe—Grey	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Christine Hogarth MPP	MPP	Etobicoke—Lakeshore	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Daisy Wai MPP	MPP	Richmond Hill	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Dave Smith MPP	MPP	Peterborough—Kawartha	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
David Smith MPP	MPP	Scarborough Centre	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Dawn Gallagher Murphy MPP	MPP	Newmarket—Aurora	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Deepak Anand MPP	MPP	Mississauga—Malton	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Effie J. Triantafilopoulos MPP	MPP	Oakville North—Burlington	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Goldie Ghamari MPP	MPP	Carleton	Independent	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Charmaine A. Williams MPP	MPP	Brampton Centre	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Donna Skelly MPP	MPP	Flamborough—Glanbrook	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Doug Downey MPP	MPP	Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Ernie Hardeman MPP	MPP	Oxford	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Graydon Smith MPP	MPP	Parry Sound—Muskoka	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Jill Dunlop MPP	MPP	Simcoe North	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Kevin Holland MPP	MPP	Thunder Bay—Atikokan	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Kinga Surma MPP	MPP	Etobicoke Centre	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Laurie Scott MPP	MPP	Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Lisa M. Thompson MPP	MPP	Huron—Bruce	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Michael A. Tibollo MPP	MPP	Vaughan—Woodbridge	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Michael Parsa MPP	MPP	Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Michael S. Kerzner MPP	MPP	York Centre	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Mike Harris MPP	MPP	Kitchener—Conestoga	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Neil Lumsden MPP	MPP	Hamilton East—Stoney Creek	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Nina Tangri MPP	MPP	Mississauga—Streetsville	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Nolan Quinn MPP	MPP	Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Paul Calandra MPP	MPP	Markham—Stouffville	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy MPP	MPP	Pickering—Uxbridge	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria MPP	MPP	Brampton South	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Raymond Sung Joon Cho MPP	MPP	Scarborough North	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Rob Flack MPP	MPP	Elgin—Middlesex—London	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Sam Oosterhoff MPP	MPP	Niagara West	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Stan Cho MPP	MPP	Willowdale	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Stephen Crawford MPP	MPP	Oakville	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Stephen Lecce MPP	MPP	King—Vaughan	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Steve Clark MPP	MPP	Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Sylvia Jones MPP	MPP	Dufferin—Caledon	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Todd J. McCarthy MPP	MPP	Durham	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Trevor Jones MPP	MPP	Chatham-Kent—Leamington	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Jess Dixon MPP	MPP	Kitchener South—Hespeler	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
John Jordan MPP	MPP	Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Lisa MacLeod MPP	MPP	Nepean	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Logan Kanapathi MPP	MPP	Markham—Thornhill	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Lorne Coe MPP	MPP	Whitby	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Matthew Rae MPP	MPP	Perth—Wellington	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Michael D. Ford MPP	MPP	York South—Weston	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Natalie Pierre MPP	MPP	Burlington	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Patrice Barnes MPP	MPP	Ajax	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Rick Byers MPP	MPP	Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Robert Bailey MPP	MPP	Sarnia—Lambton	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Robin Martin MPP	MPP	Eglinton—Lawrence	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Ross Romano MPP	MPP	Sault Ste. Marie	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Rudy Cuzzetto MPP	MPP	Mississauga—Lakeshore	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Sheref Sabawy MPP	MPP	Mississauga—Erin Mills	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Stéphane Sarrazin MPP	MPP	Glengarry—Prescott—Russell	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Todd Smith MPP	MPP	Bay of Quinte	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Vincent Ke MPP	MPP	Don Valley North	Independent	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Will Bouma MPP	MPP	Brantford—Brant	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.

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