New Ontario laws and regulations that came into effect on New Year’s Day
Posted December 29, 2023 8:08 am.
Last Updated January 2, 2024 8:13 am.
Several new Ontario laws and regulatory changes came into effect on New Year’s Day, including daycare safe-arrival rules and penalties for inappropriately accessing patients’ personal health information.
As of Jan. 1, 2024, the province requires all child-care operators to develop a policy outlining what steps they will take to closely monitor when a child does not arrive or is not picked up as expected.
The changes are intended to prevent the rare, but horrendous deaths of young children inadvertently left in hot cars.
Safe arrival systems have long been in place in schools, where children are as young as three or four when starting junior kindergarten, but not in child-care settings, where children are younger and more vulnerable.
Other new regulations that took effect Monday will allow Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner to fine individuals or organizations who inappropriately access or share a patient’s personal health information.
Several changes to the tow-truck industry are also in place, including new customer rights.
Those include the right to provide consent to tow a car, where it will be towed, access to the vehicle after the fact and rights related to invoices and payments.
The province has also taken over the tow-truck licensing regime from municipalities and will require certification of all towing operators and vehicle storage companies.
Ontario is adding several organisms to the invasive species list in the new year, including killer shrimp, most crayfish and several plants such as the tree of heaven.
The province has updated the Occupational Health and Safety Act to increase safety for crane operators on construction sites. Two new regulations taking effect will help ensure cranes are installed properly and inspected and maintained regularly.
Ontario has also extended the rules that govern the purchase of alcohol across provincial borders. Consumers will be allowed to buy alcohol directly from businesses in other provinces until Jan. 1, 2026.
