OntarioPassed44th Parliament, 1st Session

Bill 56 explained in plain English

Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025

Environment & Climate Economy, Business & Trade

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 56

Full title

Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025

Current status

Passed

Latest event

Royal Assent received

Last updated

Nov 3, 2025

Sponsor

Andrea Khanjin

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

Royal Assent received

Latest Activity

Nov 3, 2025

Sponsor

Andrea Khanjin

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 56 amends multiple Ontario laws to streamline regulations, improve labour mobility, and make changes to drinking water protection, forest management, health professions, transportation, and species conservation.

What It Means

Bill 56 is a large bill that makes changes to 11 different Ontario laws. The bill received Royal Assent on November 3, 2025. The bill has several main areas of change: **Clean Water**: The bill changes how source protection plans (plans to protect drinking water) work. It limits what policies can be included in these plans when dealing with significant drinking water threats. It allows source protection plans to be "deemed approved" (treated as approved) if the Minister doesn't respond within 120 days. It also creates new rules about who must follow these policies. **Forests**: The bill allows forest management plans to cover more than one forest management unit at a time. It removes a requirement that forest licence holders get the Minister's approval each year before harvesting. It increases penalties for illegal harvesting and removes some restrictions on harvesting activities. **Pharmacies and Drugs**: The bill changes who can sell or handle certain drugs. It adds new definitions for health professionals like chiropodists, dental hygienists, and midwives. It allows regulations to prescribe other people who can perform certain pharmacy-related activities. **Radiation in Healthcare**: The bill changes who can use radiation equipment in healing arts (medical facilities). It removes some restrictions and allows regulations to prescribe additional persons. **Roads and Driving**: The bill removes automated speed enforcement systems (speed cameras that issue tickets automatically). It gives the Minister power to require municipalities to install school zone signs on highways. It removes certain legal protections that suppliers of speed camera equipment might have had. **Heritage**: The bill updates a reference from the "Agreement on Internal Trade" to the "Canadian Free Trade Agreement" in heritage law. **Labour Mobility**: The bill changes the definition of "co-ordinating Minister" and updates how deemed certification works for workers in regulated occupations. It sets out new rules about what requirements can be imposed on deemed certified workers and creates a process for suspending or revoking their certificates if problems arise. **Health Professions**: The bill makes major changes to how out-of-province health professionals register in Ontario. For certain prescribed professions, out-of-province applicants with equivalent credentials must be registered within two business days, and colleges cannot require material additional training. The bill also allows regulations to exempt certain people from title protection rules in various health professions (like dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, etc.). **Species at Risk**: The bill makes technical amendments to the Species Conservation Act, 2025, including clarifying the definition of "section 16 activity" and changing when the Minister can issue habitat protection orders. It also updates references in other laws from the old "Species at Risk in Ontario List" to the new "Protected Species in Ontario List." Most parts of the bill came into force on November 3, 2025 (Royal Assent), but some schedules have different commencement dates specified in the bill or will come into force on dates set by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

What This Bill Does

Amends the Clean Water Act, 2006 to restrict what policies can be included in source protection plans when dealing with significant drinking water threats, allow source protection plans to be deemed approved after 120 days without Minister action, and create new rules for who must follow source protection policies
Allows forest management plans under the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994 to apply to more than one forest management unit
Repeals section 44 of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994, which required forest licence holders to obtain annual Minister approval before harvesting
Increases penalties for illegal harvesting in Crown forests and extends certain enforcement powers to permit holders
Changes the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act to add definitions for chiropodists, dental hygienists, midwives, and optometrists, and allows regulations to prescribe other persons who can perform pharmacy-related activities
Amends the Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act to allow regulations to prescribe additional persons who can operate radiation equipment in healthcare settings
Repeals Part XIV.1 of the Highway Traffic Act, which authorized automated speed enforcement systems (speed cameras)
Gives the Minister power to direct municipalities to install school zone signs on highways and to carry out installations if municipalities do not comply
Extinguishes certain causes of action and legal remedies related to the repeal of automated speed enforcement systems
Updates references from the 'Agreement on Internal Trade' to the 'Canadian Free Trade Agreement' in the Ontario Heritage Act and other legislation
Changes the Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009 to update the definition of 'co-ordinating Minister' and establish new rules for deemed certified workers in regulated occupations
Makes major amendments to the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 regarding out-of-province health professional registration, including a fast-track two-business-day registration process for applicants with equivalent out-of-province credentials in prescribed professions
Allows regulations to exempt people from title protection provisions in health profession statutes (audiology, chiropody, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, etc.)
Makes technical amendments to the Species Conservation Act, 2025, including clarifying definitions and changing when habitat protection orders can be issued
Updates references in multiple laws from the 'Species at Risk in Ontario List' under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 to the 'Protected Species in Ontario List' under the Species Conservation Act, 2025
Amends the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994 to provide that certain forest operations are exempt from Species Conservation Act prohibitions

Who Is Affected

Source protection authorities and persons who make decisions about drinking water protection
Forest resource licence holders and permit holders in Ontario Crown forests
People engaged in logging and forestry activities in Crown forests
Pharmacies, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and persons in pharmacy-related roles
Chiropodists, dental hygienists, midwives, and optometrists
Healthcare facilities using radiation equipment
Municipalities responsible for highway sign installation and maintenance
Suppliers and vendors of automated speed enforcement systems
People who previously used automated speed enforcement systems (speed cameras)
Regulated health professionals (audiologists, speech-language pathologists, dentists, nurses, psychologists, etc.)
Out-of-province health professionals applying for registration in Ontario
Colleges regulating health professions in Ontario
People involved in forest operations in Crown forests
Persons interested in species at risk and protected species in Ontario

Rights, Duties, Or Obligations

Source protection authorities must obtain written confirmation from the Director before submitting amendments to the Minister (Clean Water Act s. 34(4.1))
Source protection authorities must publish notice of approval of amendments on the environmental registry (Clean Water Act s. 30(2))
Source protection plans can only include specified policies when dealing with significant drinking water threats (Clean Water Act s. 22(8.1))
Persons or bodies making decisions about prescribed instruments must ensure their decisions comply with source protection plan policies (Clean Water Act s. 42.1)
Registrars of prescribed health profession Colleges must register out-of-province applicants or refuse and refer to Registration Committee within two business days (Regulated Health Professions Act s. 22.19.1(8))
Colleges must not impose material additional training, experience, examinations or assessments on out-of-province applicants in prescribed professions (Regulated Health Professions Act s. 22.19.1(2))
Out-of-province registrants in prescribed professions cannot be required to renew or extend their deemed certification (Regulated Health Professions Act s. 22.19.1(7))
Registrars may immediately suspend or impose terms on out-of-province registrants' certificates if new information arises (Regulated Health Professions Act s. 22.19.2)
Municipalities must comply with Minister directives to install school zone signs (Highway Traffic Act s. 128.0.1(2))
Forest operations in Crown forests in accordance with approved forest management plans and under Crown authority are exempt from Species Conservation Act prohibitions (Schedule 11 s. 47.1)

Important Dates

Bill 56 received Royal Assent on November 3, 2025, and became law on that date (s. 2(1))
Schedule 1 (Clean Water Act) comes into force on a day to be named by order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council (Schedule 1 s. 12)
Schedule 2 (Crown Forest Sustainability Act) generally came into force on November 3, 2025, but sections 4 and 6(2) come into force on a day to be named by order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council (Schedule 2 s. 9)
Schedule 3 (Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act) comes into force on the later of January 1, 2026 and November 3, 2025 (Schedule 3 s. 7)
Schedule 4 (Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act) comes into force on the later of January 1, 2026 and November 3, 2025 (Schedule 4 s. 2)
Schedule 5 (Highway Traffic Act) generally comes into force on the later of November 14, 2025 and November 3, 2025, but section 4 came into force on November 3, 2025 (Schedule 5 s. 12)
Schedule 6 (Ontario Heritage Act) came into force on November 3, 2025 (Schedule 6 s. 3)
Schedule 7 (Ontario Labour Mobility Act) came into force on November 3, 2025 (Schedule 7 s. 6)
Schedule 8 (Regulated Health Professions Act) comes into force on the later of January 1, 2026 and November 3, 2025 (Schedule 8 s. 13)
Schedule 9 (Species Conservation Act) comes into force on the later of when section 1 of Schedule 10 to the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 comes into force and November 3, 2025 (Schedule 9 s. 9)
Schedule 10 (Amendments to Regulated Health Profession Statutes) comes into force on the later of January 1, 2026 and November 3, 2025 (Schedule 10 s. 17)
Schedule 11 (Consequential Amendments) comes into force on the later of when section 1 of Schedule 10 to the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 comes into force and November 3, 2025 (Schedule 11 s. 7)

Financial Or Tax Impacts

Increased penalties for illegal harvesting in Crown forests (from unspecified amounts to the greater of $15,000 or five times the value of forest resources)
Potential costs to municipalities for installing school zone signs if the Minister directs them to do so
Potential revenue loss from the repeal of automated speed enforcement systems (speed camera revenue)
Colleges may incur costs for fast-track processing of out-of-province health professional registrations within two business days
Regulatory fees and costs for health professionals registering in Ontario may be affected by exemptions and alternative fee arrangements prescribed in regulations

Enforcement Or Penalties

Penalties for harvesting or removing forest resources without authority in Crown forests increased to the greater of $15,000 or five times the value of the forest resources harvested (Crown Forest Sustainability Act s. 58(1)(a))
Penalties for failing to comply with a forest resource licence or permit increased to the greater of $15,000 or five times the value of forest resources harvested in violation (Crown Forest Sustainability Act s. 58(1)(b))
A person shall not hinder, obstruct or interfere with the installation of school zone signs by the Minister or their agents (Highway Traffic Act s. 128.0.1(5))
The Minister may advise decision-makers of failure to comply with source protection plan policies, request corrective steps, and require reporting on those steps (Clean Water Act s. 42.1(3))
Registrars may immediately suspend out-of-province health profession registrants' certificates or impose terms if new information suggests public protection is needed (Regulated Health Professions Act s. 22.19.2)

Uncertainties Or Limits

The commencement date of Schedule 1 (Clean Water Act amendments) is not specified in the bill and will be set by order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council
The commencement dates for sections 4 and 6(2) of Schedule 2 (Crown Forest Sustainability Act amendments) are not specified
The bill text does not specify what regulations will be made under the new regulation-making powers granted to the Minister and Lieutenant Governor in Council, which are essential for implementing many of the changes (e.g., prescribing persons for health professions, prescribing exceptions and wording for source protection plans)
The bill does not specify the content or timing of source protection plan amendments or reviews that may be required
The commencement of Schedule 9 (Species Conservation Act amendments) is conditional on the commencement of provisions in another bill (Bill 46 – Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025)
The bill does not clarify all the details of how the deemed approval process will work in practice for source protection plans
The bill does not specify which health professions will be prescribed for the fast-track out-of-province registration process
The impact of the prohibition on material additional training for out-of-province applicants may need to be clarified through regulations
The bill does not specify the exact circumstances or timeline for when the Minister will review source protection plans for compliance
The relationship between different source protection plan policies and prescribed instruments is not fully explained

Laws Or Regulations Affected

Clean Water Act, 2006

amended

Changes rules for source protection plans that protect drinking water. Restricts what policies can be included when there is a significant drinking water threat. Allows plans to be deemed approved if the Minister does not respond within 120 days. Creates new requirements for source protection authorities and decision-makers.

Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994

amended

Allows forest management plans to cover multiple forest management units instead of just one. Repeals the requirement for annual Minister approval before harvesting. Increases penalties for illegal harvesting. Extends enforcement powers to permit holders. Updates the definition of 'species at risk' to refer to the new Protected Species in Ontario List.

Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act

amended

Adds new definitions for chiropodists, dental hygienists, midwives, and optometrists. Allows regulations to prescribe other persons who can sell drugs to these health professionals or perform pharmacy-related activities. Changes rules about where drugs can be received from wholesale distributors.

Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act

amended

Removes some restrictions on who can operate radiation equipment in healthcare settings. Allows regulations to prescribe additional persons beyond those currently listed in the legislation.

Highway Traffic Act

amended

Repeals Part XIV.1, which authorized automated speed enforcement systems (speed cameras). Gives the Minister power to direct municipalities to install school zone signs and to carry out installations if municipalities do not comply. Extinguishes legal remedies related to the repeal of speed camera systems.

Ontario Heritage Act

amended

Updates a reference from 'Agreement on Internal Trade' to 'Canadian Free Trade Agreement'.

Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009

amended

Updates the definition of 'co-ordinating Minister' to refer to the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Establishes new rules about how deemed certified workers in regulated occupations are treated, including that they do not need to meet ongoing application requirements during their deemed certification period.

Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991

amended

Creates a fast-track registration process for out-of-province health professionals with equivalent credentials in prescribed professions. Registrars must register or refuse applications within two business days. Colleges cannot require material additional training. Allows the Registrar to immediately suspend out-of-province registrants if new information arises. Allows regulations to exempt people from title protection rules in health profession statutes.

Species Conservation Act, 2025

amended

Makes technical changes to clarify the definition of activities that are prohibited. Changes the circumstances when the Minister can issue habitat protection orders. Updates references to the Protected Species in Ontario List.

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997

amended

Updates references from the 'Species at Risk in Ontario List' to the 'Protected Species in Ontario List'. Establishes that if there is a conflict between this Act and the Species Conservation Act, 2025, the law that gives animals the most protection applies.

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

amended

Updates references to species at risk from the old Endangered Species Act to the new Species Conservation Act, 2025.

Kawartha Highlands Signature Site Park Act, 2003

amended

Replaces reference to the old Species at Risk in Ontario List with a reference to species classified as extirpated, endangered, threatened or of special concern by the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario.

Lake Simcoe Protection Act, 2008

amended

Adds the Species Conservation Act, 2025 to the definition of 'prescribed instrument'.

Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006

amended

Adds a definition of 'species at risk' that refers to species classified as extirpated, endangered, threatened or of special concern by the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario.

Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Act, 1991

amended