role="main" class="main-container container js-quickedit-main-content" id="main-content">

Bill 123, Erin's Law (Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Reporting), 2024

Scott, Laurie

Dixon, Jess

Royal Assent received. Statutes of Ontario 2024,

chapter 33

Please select

View bill

Status

Debates

Acts affected

Royal Assent

Original

Bill 123 Royal Assent (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

This Explanatory Note was written as a reader’s

aid to Bill 123 and does not form part of the law.

Bill 123 has been enacted as

Chapter 33 of the Statutes of Ontario, 2024.

The

Bill amends the Education Act to require each

school board to establish a policy under which pupils in its schools are

engaged annually, in a developmentally appropriate manner, regarding the topics

of child sexual abuse prevention and reporting. Each board is also required to make

information available to parents and guardians and to provide information

annually to teachers and other staff in schools. The Minister is authorized to

make regulations respecting how these requirements are to be satisfied.

Bill 123 2024

Act to amend the Education Act with respect to child sexual abuse prevention

and reporting

His

Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the

Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

The Education Act is amended by adding the

following section:

Duties

of boards, child sexual abuse prevention and reporting

Pupils

170.0.1

(1) Every

board shall ensure that a policy is established under which pupils in its

schools are engaged annually, in a developmentally appropriate manner,

regarding the topics of child sexual abuse prevention and reporting, including age-appropriate

techniques to recognize child sexual abuse and tell a trusted adult.

Parents

and guardians

(2) Every

board shall ensure that information respecting child sexual abuse prevention

and reporting, including information on available counselling and resources for

children who are sexually abused, is made available to all parents and

guardians of pupils in its schools.

Teachers

and other staff

(3) Every

board shall ensure that information respecting child sexual abuse prevention

and reporting, including information on available counselling and resources for

children who are sexually abused, is provided annually to all teachers and

other staff in its schools.

Regulations

(4) The

Minister may make regulations,

(

a) governing

the policy to be established under subsection (1), including,

(

i) prescribing

the manner in which the engagement must be carried out, and

(ii) prescribing

information that must be provided as part of the engagement;

(

b) governing

the availability and provision of information under subsections (2) and (3),

including,

(

i) prescribing

the manner in which the information must be made available or provided, and

(ii) prescribing

the information that must be made available or provided.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on September 1, 2024.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is Erin’s

Law (Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Reporting), 2024 .

Bill 123 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill amends the Education Act to require each

school board to establish a policy under which pupils in its schools are

engaged annually, in a developmentally appropriate manner, regarding the topics

of child sexual abuse prevention and reporting. Each board is also required to make

information available to parents and guardians and to provide information

annually to teachers and other staff in schools. The Minister is authorized to

make regulations respecting how these requirements are to be satisfied.

Bill 123 2023

Act to amend the Education Act with respect to child sexual abuse prevention

and reporting

His

Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the

Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

The Education Act is amended by adding the

following section:

Duties

of boards, child sexual abuse prevention and reporting

Pupils

170.0.1

(1) Every

board shall ensure that a policy is established under which pupils in its

schools are engaged annually, in a developmentally appropriate manner,

regarding the topics of child sexual abuse prevention and reporting, including age-appropriate

techniques to recognize child sexual abuse and tell a trusted adult.

Parents

and guardians

(2) Every

board shall ensure that information respecting child sexual abuse prevention

and reporting, including information on available counselling and resources for

children who are sexually abused, is made available to all parents and

guardians of pupils in its schools.

Teachers

and other staff

(3) Every

board shall ensure that information respecting child sexual abuse prevention

and reporting, including information on available counselling and resources for

children who are sexually abused, is provided annually to all teachers and

other staff in its schools.

Regulations

(4) The

Minister may make regulations,

(

a) governing

the policy to be established under subsection (1), including,

(

i) prescribing

the manner in which the engagement must be carried out, and

(ii) prescribing

information that must be provided as part of the engagement;

(

b) governing

the availability and provision of information under subsections (2) and (3),

including,

(

i) prescribing

the manner in which the information must be made available or provided, and

(ii) prescribing

the information that must be made available or provided.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on September 1, 2024.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is Erin’s Law (Child Sexual

Abuse Prevention and Reporting), 2023 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

December 19, 2024

Royal Assent

Royal Assent received

December 11, 2024

Third Reading

Vote

Carried

December 11, 2024

Third Reading

Question put

December 11, 2024

Third Reading

Debated

December 11, 2024

Second Reading

Ordered for Third Reading pursuant to the Order of the House

December 11, 2024

Second Reading

Discharge the Order of referral to Committee

Standing Committee on Social Policy

December 11, 2024

Second Reading

Motion to arrange proceedings

October 4, 2023

Second Reading

Ordered referred to Standing Committee

Standing Committee on Social Policy

October 4, 2023

Second Reading

Vote

Carried

October 4, 2023

Second Reading

Question put

October 4, 2023

Second Reading

Debated

October 4, 2023

Second Reading

Moved

December 11, 2024

Second Reading

Motion to arrange proceedings

June 6, 2023

First Reading

Ordered for Second Reading

June 6, 2023

First Reading

Vote

Carried

First Reading

June 6, 2023

Carried

Second Reading

October 4, 2023

Fife, Catherine

Waterloo

Hogarth, Christine

Etobicoke—Lakeshore

Mantha, Michael

Algoma—Manitoulin

Quinn, Nolan

Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry

Sattler, Peggy

London West

Scott, Laurie

Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock

Smith, Laura

Thornhill

Carried

Ordered referred to Standing Committee

Standing Committee on Social Policy

December 11, 2024

Motion to arrange proceedings

December 11, 2024

Discharge the Order of referral to Committee

Standing Committee on Social Policy

Third Reading

December 11, 2024

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Mississauga—Lakeshore

Fraser, John

Ottawa South

Gates, Wayne

Niagara Falls

Gélinas, France

Nickel Belt

Question put

Carried