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Bill 13, Primary Care Act, 2025

Jones, Hon. Sylvia Minister of Health

Current status:

Royal Assent received. Statutes of Ontario 2025,

chapter 8

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Debates

Votes

Royal Assent

Original

Bill 13 Royal Assent (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

This Explanatory Note was written as a reader’s

aid to Bill 13 and does not form part of the law. Bill 13 has been enacted as

Chapter 8 of the Statutes of Ontario, 2025.

The

Primary Care Act, 2025 is enacted. Its purpose is to

establish the Government of Ontario’s vision for primary care so that insured

persons know what they should expect when accessing primary care within Ontario.

The Act sets out objectives respecting the design, implementation and

maintenance of the publicly funded primary care system within Ontario. The

Minister is required to prepare an annual report describing how the Government

of Ontario is working to achieve the objectives.

Bill 13 2025

Act respecting primary care

Preamble

The

Government of Ontario:

Recognizes

that primary care is the foundation of Ontario’s publicly funded health care

system and that primary care should be the first point of contact and the

ongoing point of contact for insured persons seeking health care within Ontario.

Acknowledges

that health care systems built upon robust primary care result in better population

health, lower health care costs and better access.

Recognizes

that team-based primary care can increase system capacity and improve health outcomes

for patients while also enhancing the satisfaction of team members.

Envisions

a primary care system that is based on a set of objectives based in evidence

and best practice.

Believes

that empowering individuals with the knowledge and information to support their

well-being is an essential component of health promotion and an effective

health care system.

Reaffirms

its commitment to satisfying the criteria set out in the Canada

Health Act respecting public administration, comprehensiveness,

committed to improving access to publicly funded primary care services in a way

that respects the dignity and human rights of Ontario’s diverse communities,

including French language speakers and Indigenous peoples.

Therefore,

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

the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Definitions

this Act,

“insured

person” has the same meaning as in the Health Insurance

Act ; (“assuré”)

“Minister”

means the Minister of Health or such other member of the Executive Council to

whom responsibility for the administration of this Act may be assigned or

transferred under the Executive Council Act ; (“ministre”)

“personal

health information” has the same meaning as in the Personal

Health Information Protection Act, 2004 . (“renseignements personnels sur

la santé”)

Purpose

The

purpose of this Act is to establish the Government of Ontario’s vision for

primary care so that insured persons know what they should expect when

accessing primary care within Ontario.

Objectives

The Government

of Ontario shall have the following objectives in its design, implementation

and maintenance of the publicly funded primary care system within Ontario:

1. Province-wide:

Insured persons across the Province should have the opportunity to have a documented

and ongoing relationship with a primary care clinician or team.

2. Connected:

Insured persons should have the opportunity to receive primary care services that

are co-ordinated with existing health and social services.

3. Convenient:

Insured persons should have access to timely primary care services.

4. Inclusive:

Insured persons should have the opportunity to receive primary care services that

are free from barriers and free from discrimination prohibited by the Human Rights Code or the Canadian

Charter of Rights and Freedoms .

5. Empowered:

Insured persons should have the opportunity to access their personal health

information through a digitally-integrated primary care system that connects

insured persons to clinicians involved in their care.

6. Responsive:

The primary care system should respond to the needs of the communities it

serves, and insured persons should have access to information about how the

system is performing and adapting.

Report

by Minister

(1) The

Minister shall prepare an annual report describing how the Government of

Ontario is working to achieve the objectives set out in

section 3 in its

design, implementation and maintenance of the publicly funded primary care

system within Ontario.

Contents

of report

(2) The

report shall include such information as the Minister considers appropriate and

the following information:

1. The

percentage of insured persons in Ontario who have an ongoing relationship with

a primary care clinician or team.

2. Such

other information as may be prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Report

to be made public

(3) The

Minister shall make the first report available to the public no later than one

year following the day this Act comes into force and each subsequent report no

later than one year following the day the most recent report was published.

establishment of private law right, duty

Nothing

in this Act or any regulation made under this Act establishes a private law right

or duty, including a private law duty of care or fiduciary duty, owing to any

person.

Effect

of failure to comply

Failure

to comply with this Act or any regulation made under this Act does not affect

the validity of any policy, Act, regulation, directive, instrument or decision.

Regulations

The

Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations,

(

a) defining

or clarifying the meaning of any word or expression used in this Act that is

not otherwise defined in this Act;

(

b) setting

out additional details regarding the objectives set out in

section 3;

(

c) prescribing

information for the purpose of paragraph 2 of subsection 4 (2), which may

include key performance indicators;

(

d) governing

the manner in which the report mentioned in

section 4 is to be made available

to the public.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Primary Care Act, 2025 .

Bill 13 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Primary Care Act, 2025 is enacted. Its purpose is to

establish the Government of Ontario’s vision for primary care so that insured

persons know what they should expect when accessing primary care within Ontario.

The Act sets out objectives respecting the design, implementation and

maintenance of the publicly funded primary care system within Ontario. The

Minister is required to prepare an annual report describing how the Government

of Ontario is working to achieve the objectives.

Bill 13 2025

Act respecting primary care

Preamble

The

Government of Ontario:

Recognizes

that primary care is the foundation of Ontario’s publicly funded health care

system and that primary care should be the first point of contact and the

ongoing point of contact for insured persons seeking health care within Ontario.

Acknowledges

that health care systems built upon robust primary care result in better population

health, lower health care costs and better access.

Recognizes

that team-based primary care can increase system capacity and improve health outcomes

for patients while also enhancing the satisfaction of team members.

Envisions

a primary care system that is based on a set of objectives based in evidence

and best practice.

Believes

that empowering individuals with the knowledge and information to support their

well-being is an essential component of health promotion and an effective

health care system.

Reaffirms

its commitment to satisfying the criteria set out in the Canada

Health Act respecting public administration, comprehensiveness,

committed to improving access to publicly funded primary care services in a way

that respects the dignity and human rights of Ontario’s diverse communities,

including French language speakers and Indigenous peoples.

Therefore,

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

the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Definitions

this Act,

“insured

person” has the same meaning as in the Health Insurance

Act ; (“assuré”)

“Minister”

means the Minister of Health or such other member of the Executive Council to

whom responsibility for the administration of this Act may be assigned or

transferred under the Executive Council Act ; (“ministre”)

“personal

health information” has the same meaning as in the Personal

Health Information Protection Act, 2004 . (“renseignements personnels sur

la santé”)

Purpose

The

purpose of this Act is to establish the Government of Ontario’s vision for

primary care so that insured persons know what they should expect when

accessing primary care within Ontario.

Objectives

The Government

of Ontario shall have the following objectives in its design, implementation

and maintenance of the publicly funded primary care system within Ontario:

1. Province-wide:

Insured persons across the Province should have the opportunity to have a documented

and ongoing relationship with a primary care clinician or team.

2. Connected:

Insured persons should have the opportunity to receive primary care services that

are co-ordinated with existing health and social services.

3. Convenient:

Insured persons should have access to timely primary care services.

4. Inclusive:

Insured persons should have the opportunity to receive primary care services that

are free from barriers and free from discrimination prohibited by the Human Rights Code or the Canadian

Charter of Rights and Freedoms .

5. Empowered:

Insured persons should have the opportunity to access their personal health

information through a digitally-integrated primary care system that connects

insured persons to clinicians involved in their care.

6. Responsive:

The primary care system should respond to the needs of the communities it

serves, and insured persons should have access to information about how the

system is performing and adapting.

Report

by Minister

(1) The

Minister shall prepare an annual report describing how the Government of

Ontario is working to achieve the objectives set out in

section 3 in its

design, implementation and maintenance of the publicly funded primary care

system within Ontario.

Contents

of report

(2) The

report shall include such information as the Minister considers appropriate and

the following information:

1. The

percentage of insured persons in Ontario who have an ongoing relationship with

a primary care clinician or team.

2. Such

other information as may be prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Report

to be made public

(3) The

Minister shall make the first report available to the public no later than one

year following the day this Act comes into force and each subsequent report no

later than one year following the day the most recent report was published.

establishment of private law right, duty

Nothing

in this Act or any regulation made under this Act establishes a private law right

or duty, including a private law duty of care or fiduciary duty, owing to any

person.

Effect

of failure to comply

Failure

to comply with this Act or any regulation made under this Act does not affect

the validity of any policy, Act, regulation, directive, instrument or decision.

Regulations

The

Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations,

(

a) defining

or clarifying the meaning of any word or expression used in this Act that is

not otherwise defined in this Act;

(

b) setting

out additional details regarding the objectives set out in

section 3;

(

c) prescribing

information for the purpose of paragraph 2 of subsection 4 (2), which may

include key performance indicators;

(

d) governing

the manner in which the report mentioned in

section 4 is to be made available

to the public.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Primary Care Act, 2025 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

June 5, 2025

Royal Assent

Royal Assent received

June 2, 2025

Third Reading

Vote

Carried

June 2, 2025

Third Reading

Question put

June 2, 2025

Third Reading

Debated

June 2, 2025

Second Reading

Ordered for Third Reading pursuant to the Order of the House

June 2, 2025

Second Reading

Vote

Carried on division

May 29, 2025

Second Reading

Question put

Vote deferred

May 29, 2025

Second Reading

Time allocated

May 13, 2025

Second Reading

Debated

Debate adjourned

May 13, 2025

Second Reading

Debated

Debate adjourned

May 12, 2025

Second Reading

Debated

Debate adjourned

May 7, 2025

First Reading

Ordered for Second Reading

May 7, 2025

First Reading

Vote

Carried

First Reading

May 7, 2025

Carried

Ordered for Second Reading

Second Reading

May 12, 2025

Principal Debaters

Jones, Hon. Sylvia

Dufferin—Caledon

Jordan, John

Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston

Leardi, Anthony

Essex

Questions and Responses

Anand, Deepak

Mississauga—Malton

Lennox, Robin

Hamilton Centre

Saunderson, Brian

Simcoe—Grey

Shamji, Adil

Don Valley East

May 13, 2025

Principal Debaters

Cerjanec, Rob

Ajax

Coe, Lorne

Whitby

Fife, Catherine

Waterloo

Gates, Wayne

Niagara Falls

Gélinas, France

Nickel Belt

Lennox, Robin

Hamilton Centre

McCrimmon, Karen

Kanata—Carleton

Scott, Chris

Sault Ste. Marie

Scott, Laurie

Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock

Shamji, Adil

Don Valley East

Questions and Responses

Anand, Deepak

Mississauga—Malton

Collard, Lucille

Ottawa—Vanier

Fairclough, Lee

Etobicoke—Lakeshore

Fraser, John

Ottawa South

Gallagher Murphy, Dawn

Newmarket—Aurora

Glover, Chris

Spadina—Fort York

Gretzky, Lisa

Windsor West

Hsu, Ted

Kingston and the Islands

Jordan, John

Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston

Kanapathi, Logan

Markham—Thornhill

Kernaghan, Terence

London North Centre

Leardi, Anthony

Essex

McKenney, Catherine

Ottawa Centre

Pasma, Chandra

Ottawa West—Nepean

Racinsky, Joseph

Wellington—Halton Hills

Rae, Matthew

Perth—Wellington

Sattler, Peggy

London West

Smith, Laura

Thornhill

May 13, 2025

Debated

May 29, 2025

Time allocated

May 29, 2025

Fairclough, Lee

Etobicoke—Lakeshore

Leardi, Anthony

Essex

Lennox, Robin

Hamilton Centre

McKenney, Catherine

Ottawa Centre

McMahon, Mary-Margaret

Beaches—East York

Shamji, Adil

Don Valley East

June 2, 2025

Carried on division

Ordered for Third Reading pursuant to the Order of the House

Third Reading

June 2, 2025

Principal Debaters

Fairclough, Lee

Etobicoke—Lakeshore

Gélinas, France

Nickel Belt

Jordan, John

Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston

Leardi, Anthony

Essex

Shamji, Adil

Don Valley East

Questions and Responses

Blais, Stephen

Orléans

Question put

Carried

Royal Assent

June 5, 2025

Royal Assent received

Vote on second reading - Carried (June 2, 2025)

Ayes

(112) Tyler Allsopp

Deepak Anand

Teresa J. Armstrong

Aris Babikian

Robert Bailey

Doly Begum

Jessica Bell

Stephen Blais

Will Bouma

Guy Bourgouin

Stephanie Bowman

Bobbi Ann Brady

Ric Bresee

Jeff Burch

Hon. Paul Calandra

Rob Cerjanec

Hon. Raymond Sung Joon Cho

Monica Ciriello

Aislinn Clancy

Hon. Steve Clark

Lorne Coe

Lucille Collard

Michelle Cooper

Hon. Stephen Crawford

Rudy Cuzzetto

George Darouze

Billy Denault

Jess Dixon

Andrew Dowie

Hon. Doug Downey

Hon. Jill Dunlop

Lee Fairclough

Hon. Victor Fedeli

Catherine Fife

Mohamed Firin

Hon. Rob Flack

John Fraser

Jennifer K. French

Dawn Gallagher Murphy

Wayne Gates

France Gélinas

Alexa Gilmour

Chris Glover

Lisa Gretzky

Hardeep Singh Grewal

Silvia Gualtieri

Hon. Zee Hamid

Hon. Ernie Hardeman

Hon. Mike Harris

Andrea Hazell

Hon. Kevin Holland

Ted Hsu

Hon. Sylvia Jones

Hon. Trevor Jones

John Jordan

Logan Kanapathi

Terence Kernaghan

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner

Hon. Andrea Khanjin

Anthony Leardi

Hon. Stephen Lecce

Robin Lennox

Hon. Todd J. McCarthy

Karen McCrimmon

Catherine McKenney

Mary-Margaret McMahon

Hon. Caroline Mulroney

Hon. Sam Oosterhoff

Billy Pang

Hon. Michael Parsa

Chandra Pasma

Hon. David Piccini

Natalie Pierre

Hon. George Pirie

Joseph Racinsky

Matthew Rae

Tom Rakocevic

Hon. Greg Rickford

Brian Riddell

Bill Rosenberg

Amarjot Sandhu

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria

Stéphane Sarrazin

Peggy Sattler

Brian Saunderson

Mike Schreiner

Chris Scott

Hon. Laurie Scott

Adil Shamji

Sandy Shaw

Dave Smith

David Smith

Hon. Graydon Smith

Stephanie Smyth

Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens

Marit Stiles

Hon. Kinga Surma

Peter Tabuns

Hon. Nina Tangri

Hon. Vijay Thanigasalam

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo

Effie J. Triantafilopoulos

Jonathan Tsao

John Vanthof

Lise Vaugeois

Paul Vickers

Daisy Wai

Tyler Watt

Jamie West

Hon. Charmaine A. Williams

Kristyn Wong-Tam

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