Bill 80 explained in plain English
Viewer Discretion Act (Images of Fetuses), 2023
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 80 requires that graphic images of aborted or non-viable fetuses be sent only in opaque envelopes with content descriptions and sender identification, with a fine of $100 per image for violations.
Ontario Bill 80 (the Viewer Discretion Act (Images of Fetuses), 2023) sets rules for how graphic images of aborted or non-viable fetuses can be sent or distributed. The bill says that if someone wants to mail or distribute such an image, they must: 1. Put the image in an opaque (non-see-through) envelope 2. Write a description of what is inside on the outside of the envelope 3. Clearly show who is sending it on the outside of the envelope If someone breaks these rules, they can be fined $100 for each image they mail or distribute. The bill became law when it received Royal Assent.
- Establishes conditions that must be met before graphic images of aborted or non-viable fetuses can be mailed or otherwise distributed
- Requires that such images be placed in opaque envelopes
- Requires that the exterior of the envelope include a description of the contents
- Requires that the exterior of the envelope clearly identify the sender
- Creates an offence for violation of these conditions
- Sets a penalty of $100 per image mailed or distributed in violation of the conditions
- Comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent
- Any person or organization that sends or distributes graphic images of aborted or non-viable fetuses by mail or other means
- Members of the public who may receive such mailings
- Law enforcement and courts responsible for enforcing the offence provisions
- Persons sending or distributing graphic images of aborted or non-viable fetuses must use opaque envelopes
- Persons sending or distributing such images must include a description of the contents on the exterior of the envelope
- Persons sending or distributing such images must clearly identify themselves as the sender on the exterior of the envelope
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent (Royal Assent received in 2023)
- Anyone who violates the conditions in section 1 is guilty of an offence
- On conviction, the person is liable to a fine of $100 per image mailed or otherwise distributed
- The bill does not specify maximum fines or other penalty details
- The bill does not define what constitutes a 'graphic' image of a fetus, leaving some uncertainty about which images are covered
- The bill does not define what constitutes 'otherwise distributing' an image beyond mailing, so it is unclear what methods of distribution are covered
- The bill does not specify whether the penalties are per image or cumulative for multiple images
- The bill does not specify whether corporations or organizations can be charged with this offence, or only individuals
- The bill does not specify what court has jurisdiction or what the maximum fine could be if multiple images are involved
- It is unclear whether simply sharing an image online would constitute 'distribution' under this Act
This new Ontario law prohibits the mailing or distribution of graphic images of aborted or non-viable fetuses unless they are sent in opaque envelopes with content descriptions and sender identification clearly marked on the outside. Violations carry a fine of $100 per image.
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