OntarioDid Not Pass44th Parliament, 1st Session

Bill 23 explained in plain English

Protecting Seniors’ Rights in Care Homes Act, 2026

Housing Consumer Protection Social Services & Income Support

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

44th Parliament, 1st Session

Bill number

Bill 23

Full title

Protecting Seniors’ Rights in Care Homes Act, 2026

Current status

Did Not Pass

Latest event

Lost on division

Last updated

Apr 16, 2026

Sponsor

Chandra Pasma

Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 44th 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

Apr 16, 2026

Sponsor

Chandra Pasma

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

The Protecting Seniors’ Rights in Care Homes Act, 2026, amends Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act and Retirement Homes Act to regulate charges for care services and meals in care homes, enhance transparency, and protect residents' rights.

What It Means

This bill, titled the Protecting Seniors’ Rights in Care Homes Act, 2026, aims to provide greater protection for seniors living in care homes. It proposes changes to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, and the Retirement Homes Act, 2010. Key changes include rules about how landlords must present information on charges for care services and meals, restrictions on how often and by how much these charges can be increased, and provisions for tenants to agree to additional services or to reduce or stop receiving them. The bill also clarifies the rights of residents in retirement homes when a home is closing. The intention is to prevent exploitative fee increases and ensure seniors receive the services they pay for.

What This Bill Does

Amends the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, and the Retirement Homes Act, 2010, to provide specific protections for residents in care homes.
Requires landlords to provide tenants with clear information packages about accommodation and care services and meals, including charges.
Establishes rules for itemizing charges for care services and meals separately in tenancy agreements and ensures these charges are consistent for all tenants.
Allows tenants to agree in writing to receive additional care services or meals and to later reduce or stop receiving them.
Imposes restrictions on the frequency and amount of increases for charges for care services and meals.
Allows for regulations to permit increases in charges under specific circumstances, provided certain conditions are met, such as not exceeding costs and proving justification.
Requires landlords to provide information packages to new tenants before entering into a tenancy agreement and to revise them as needed.
Mandates that landlords make the most current version of the information package available in an easily accessible location in the care home.
Clarifies that notice of a retirement home ceasing operation does not constitute a notice of termination of tenancy under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006.
States that a resident in a retirement home continues to have the rights of a tenant under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, even if the home is closing.

Who Is Affected

Tenants residing in care homes in Ontario.
Landlords or operators of care homes in Ontario.
Residents of retirement homes in Ontario, particularly when a home is ceasing operation.
Family members of tenants in care homes.

Rights, Duties, Or Obligations

Tenants have the right to receive a clear information package detailing accommodation and care service charges.
Tenants have the right to individually select and pay only for desired care services and meals from a landlord's package.
Tenants have the right to reduce or stop receiving additional care services or meals after agreeing to them.
Tenants have the right to expect charges for care services and meals to be the same for every tenant in a care home.
Landlords are obligated to ensure information packages accurately reflect charges and are revised as needed.
Landlords are obligated to provide information packages to new tenants before a tenancy agreement is signed.
Landlords are obligated to make the most current information package available in the care home.
Landlords are restricted from increasing charges for care services and meals more often than once every 12 months.
Landlords are restricted from increasing charges for care services and meals by more than a prescribed annual percentage.
Retirement home licensees ceasing operations must inform residents of their continuing tenant rights.
Tenants have the right to have agreements for additional services void if entered into through coercion or misrepresentation.

Important Dates

The Act comes into force on the first anniversary of the day it receives Royal Assent, or on an earlier day determined by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Financial Or Tax Impacts

The bill restricts how often and by how much landlords can increase charges for care services and meals provided in care homes.
The bill allows for regulations that may permit increased charges for care services and meals under specific conditions, with a cap of 3 per cent per year over a three-year period in such cases.

Enforcement Or Penalties

An increase in a charge for a care service or meals is void if it does not comply with the restrictions on frequency and amount, or with specific regulations.

Uncertainties Or Limits

The specific limits for increases in charges for care services and meals that may be permitted by regulation are not detailed in the bill text, beyond a 3 per cent annual increase over three years in certain circumstances.
Details regarding the 'manner specified by the regulations' for a landlord to prove that an increase in a charge is justifiable are not provided.
The bill does not specify what happens if a landlord fails to provide the required information package or adheres to other provisions, beyond charges being void.
The exact content of 'additional information' that may be prescribed by regulation for information packages is not detailed.
The bill does not detail what constitutes 'coercion or a false, incomplete or misleading representation' in relation to agreements for additional services.

Laws Or Regulations Affected

Residential Tenancies Act, 2006

amends

Modifies various sections of the Act to introduce new rules regarding care services and meals in care homes, including requirements for information packages, separate itemization of charges, consistency of charges, agreements for additional services, and restrictions on charge increases.

Source: Section 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Retirement Homes Act, 2010

amends

Adds a provision requiring that a notice given by a licensee of a retirement home ceasing operation must include a statement confirming the resident's continuing tenant rights under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006.

Source: Section 12

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

May 14, 2025

Step 2

Second reading

Apr 16, 2026

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

Apr 16, 2026

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

Sponsor

Chandra Pasma

New Democratic Party of Ontario | Ottawa West—Nepean

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
Chandra PasmaSponsor MPP	MPP	Ottawa West—Nepean	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.
Alexa Gilmour MPP	MPP	Parkdale—High Park	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Andrea Hazell MPP	MPP	Scarborough—Guildwood	Ontario Liberal Party	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Bobbi Ann Brady MPP	MPP	Haldimand—Norfolk	Independent	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Catherine Fife MPP	MPP	Waterloo	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Catherine McKenney MPP	MPP	Ottawa Centre	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
France Gélinas MPP	MPP	Nickel Belt	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Guy Bourgouin MPP	MPP	Mushkegowuk—James Bay	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Jamie West MPP	MPP	Sudbury	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.
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.
Jonathan Tsao MPP	MPP	Don Valley North	Ontario Liberal Party	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Karen McCrimmon MPP	MPP	Kanata—Carleton	Ontario Liberal Party	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Kristyn Wong-Tam MPP	MPP	Toronto Centre	New Democratic Party of Ontario	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.
Lucille Collard MPP	MPP	Ottawa—Vanier	Ontario Liberal Party	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.
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.
Rob Cerjanec MPP	MPP	Ajax	Ontario Liberal Party	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.
Stephanie Smyth MPP	MPP	Toronto—St. Paul's	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.
Tom Rakocevic MPP	MPP	Humber River—Black Creek	New Democratic Party of Ontario	Yes	Recorded without an additional note.
Tyler Watt MPP	MPP	Nepean	Ontario Liberal Party	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.
Bill Rosenberg MPP	MPP	Algoma—Manitoulin	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Billy Denault MPP	MPP	Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke	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.
Brian Saunderson MPP	MPP	Simcoe—Grey	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.
George Darouze MPP	MPP	Carleton	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hardeep Singh Grewal MPP	MPP	Brampton East	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Caroline Mulroney MPP	MPP	York—Simcoe	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	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. Doug Downey MPP	MPP	Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Doug Ford MPP	MPP	Etobicoke North	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. George Pirie MPP	MPP	Timmins	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. Kevin Holland MPP	MPP	Thunder Bay—Atikokan	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. 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. Victor Fedeli MPP	MPP	Nipissing	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Vijay Thanigasalam MPP	MPP	Scarborough—Rouge Park	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Hon. Zee Hamid MPP	MPP	Milton	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.
Joseph Racinsky MPP	MPP	Wellington—Halton Hills	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Laura Smith MPP	MPP	Thornhill	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.
Michelle Cooper MPP	MPP	Eglinton—Lawrence	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Mohamed Firin 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.
Paul Vickers MPP	MPP	Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Ric Bresee MPP	MPP	Hastings—Lennox and Addington	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.
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.
Silvia Gualtieri MPP	MPP	Mississauga East—Cooksville	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.
Steve Pinsonneault MPP	MPP	Lambton—Kent—Middlesex	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	No	Recorded without an additional note.
Tyler Allsopp MPP	MPP	Bay of Quinte	Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario	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