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It was a busy fall session for the Legislature which rose on Tuesday and won't return until February 16 2021. Below are a selection of the Government and Private Members Bills that saw some activity over the past few months which may be of interest to our members.
Government Bills
Bill 238: An Act to amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997. From January 1 2021 to December 31 2021 or such later date as may be prescribed, the premium payable by an employer for each of the employer’s workers applies only with respect to a maximum amount of average earnings of, $97,308; or if another amount is prescribed for the purposes of this section, that amount. The Act would also give the Lieutenant Governor In Council authority to make regulations prescribing the date for the purposes of subsection1 and prescribing an amount for the purposes of clause 1b. (Passed First Reading)
Bill 229: Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020. Click the link to the previous blog post for a description. (Received Royal Assent)
Bill 215: Main Street Recovery Act, 2020. Click the link to the previous blog post for a description.(Received Royal Assent)
Bill 213: Better for People, Smarter for Business Act , 2020 . Click the link to the previous blog post for a description. (Received Royal Assent)
Private Members Bills
Bill 243: Trespass to Property Amendment Act (Protecting Consumers from Package Privacy), 2020. The Bill would amend the Trespass to Property Act to provide minimum fines where a person trespasses for the purpose of taking, holding, concealing or destroying mail addressed to another person with the intent to deprive the other person of the mail or to defraud any person. (Passed First Reading)
Bill 242: Caregiver and Homeworker Protection Act, 2020. The Act would provide the authority for the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development to establish and maintain a Caregiver and Homeworker Protection Registry. The Registry would list the names of all employers to whom a notice of contravention has been issued under subsection 113 (1) of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 in relation to one or more caregivers or homeworkers unless the Ontario Labour Relations Board finds that the employer did not contravene the provision set out in the notice. . (Passed First Reading)
Bill 239: Stay Home If You Are Sick Act, 2020. The Bill would make several amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000. A new section would provide for personal emergency leave due to personal illness, injury or medical emergency, the death, illness, injury or medical emergency of a listed family member and entitle an employee to seven days of paid leave and three days of unpaid leave in a calendar year. The bill would also provide the first 14 days of a leave as a result of a declared emergency and infectious disease emergency to be paid. (Passed First Reading)
Bill 232: Bill 218: Supporting Ontario's Recovery and Municipal Elections Act. Click the link to the previous blog post for a description. (Remains at First Reading)
Bill 214: The Time Amendment Act, 2020. The Bill would amend the Time Act to make daylight savings time the standard time year-round. Consequential amendments are made to the Election Act, 1990 the Labour Relations Act, 1995, and the Mining Act, 1990. Of note is that this Bill appears to have the support of the Government. (Royal Assent)
Bill 200: Employment Standards Amendment Act (Sick Notes), 2020. The Bill proposes that an employer may require an employee who takes leave under this section of the Employment Standards Act, 2000, to provide reasonable evidence in the circumstances that the employee is entitled to the leave, but shall not require an employee to provide a certificate from a qualified health practitioner. (Referred to Standing Committee on General Government, October 21 2020)