Bill 88 explained in plain English
Safe Night Out Act, 2025
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
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.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill 88 requires bars and licensed premises in Ontario to provide mandatory sexual violence and harassment prevention training to certain staff and requires employers covered by occupational health and safety rules to complete approved training on workplace sexual harassment.
Bill 88, the Safe Night Out Act, 2025, makes changes to two Ontario laws. First, it amends the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 to require licensed bars, restaurants, and other premises where liquor is sold or served to establish a mandatory, evidence-based, trauma-informed training program on sexual violence and harassment. The training must cover what sexual violence and harassment are, how consent works, how to recognize signs that someone may be at risk, and how to safely intervene. Servers, security staff, and supervisors at these premises must complete this training before they start work. All licensees and permit holders must also have a written policy on how they will address sexual violence and harassment incidents and must display a sign showing that their staff have completed the training. Second, the bill amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act to expand the definition of "workplace violence" to include "workplace sexual violence," which includes unwelcome sexual acts and acts targeting someone's sexuality or gender identity committed without consent, whether in person or online. Employers covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act must ensure all staff, including supervisors, complete approved training on workplace sexual harassment. The bill comes into force six months after Royal Assent. People currently holding licences or working in covered roles must complete the required training within four months of the law coming into force.
- Requires the Registrar to develop an evidence-based, trauma-informed sexual violence and harassment prevention training program for licensed premises
- Makes the training mandatory for servers, security personnel, and supervisors at bars and other licensed premises before they begin work
- Requires licensees and permit holders to ensure their covered staff complete the training
- Requires licensees and permit holders to have a written sexual violence and harassment policy addressing how incidents will be handled and what community supports are available
- Requires licensees and permit holders to display a sign indicating their staff have completed the training
- Clarifies that completing the training does not create liability in civil proceedings related to sexual violence or harassment allegations
- Provides a four-month transition period for people already holding licences or in covered roles to complete the required training
- Expands the definition of 'workplace violence' in the Occupational Health and Safety Act to include 'workplace sexual violence'
- Defines workplace sexual violence as unwelcome sexual acts or acts targeting sexuality or gender identity committed without consent, whether in person or online
- Requires employers covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act to complete and provide approved training on workplace sexual harassment to all staff
- Allows the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations for transitional matters related to implementing these amendments
- Holders of licences or permits for premises where liquor is sold or served
- Servers and persons involved in the sale or service of liquor at licensed premises
- Security personnel at licensed premises
- Supervisors at licensed premises
- Employers covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- All workers in workplaces covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act, including supervisors and committee members
- Patrons and customers at licensed premises
- Licensees and permit holders must ensure covered staff complete sexual violence and harassment prevention training before beginning work
- Servers, security staff, and supervisors must complete the training before they start their duties
- Licensees and permit holders must have a written sexual violence and harassment policy
- Licensees and permit holders must display a sign confirming staff training completion
- Employers must complete and provide approved workplace sexual harassment training to all staff
- Completing training does not make a person liable in civil proceedings for sexual violence or harassment allegations
- The Act comes into force six months after it receives Royal Assent (section 3)
- People who hold a licence or permit or are in a covered role immediately before the Act comes into force have four months from the Act's commencement to complete the required sexual violence and harassment prevention training (section 24.1(6))
- The bill does not specify the cost of developing or delivering the training program
- The bill does not specify costs to licensees for compliance
- The bill does not mention any tax changes or fees
- The bill text does not specify penalties or enforcement mechanisms
- The bill text does not specify which government body or organization will approve the workplace sexual harassment training required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act changes, though it refers to approval by the 'Chief Prevention Officer'
- The bill does not specify the format, duration, or specific content requirements for the training beyond the four listed topics in the Liquor Licence and Control Act section
- The bill does not specify penalties, fines, or enforcement procedures for non-compliance
- The bill does not clarify how the transitional four-month period will be tracked or enforced
- The bill does not specify the cost of the training program or who will bear the costs
- The scope and specific requirements of the sexual violence and harassment policy at licensed premises are outlined in general terms but details may be set by regulation
Adds new sections requiring development of a sexual violence and harassment prevention training program for certain staff at licensed premises, makes the training mandatory before staff begin work, requires licensees to have a sexual violence and harassment policy, and requires display of a sign confirming staff training
Source: Section 1(1) and 1(2); adds sections 24.1 and 24.2
Expands the definition of 'workplace violence' to include workplace sexual violence; defines workplace sexual violence to cover unwelcome sexual acts and acts targeting sexuality or gender identity committed without consent, in person or online; requires employers and all workers to complete approved training on workplace sexual harassment; clarifies that violence and harassment policies must address workplace sexual violence and harassment
Source: Section 2(1), 2(2), 2(3), 2(4), and 2(5); amends subsection 1(1), adds subsection 1(6), amends section 32.0.1, 32.0.7, and 32.0.8
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.
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Vote Summary
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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.
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