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Bill 213, Affordable Home Heating Act, 2024

Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)

Bourgouin, Guy

Rakocevic, Tom

Tabuns, Peter

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Bill 213 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill enacts the Affordable Home Heating Act, 2024 .

The Act requires the Minister of Energy to develop an alternative home heating

fuel strategy and to publish that strategy on a website of the Government of

Ontario.

Amendments

are also made to the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 .

Section 36.3 is added to the Ontario Energy Board Act,

1998 requiring the Board to develop and submit a gas rate assistance

action plan.

Section 36.3 provides for the purpose and contents of the action

plan as well as rules respecting publication of the plan and consultations.

Subsection 36.3 (5) requires the Minister to ensure that the action plan is

implemented by January 1, 2025.

Bill 213 2024

Act to enact the Affordable Home Heating Act, 2024 and amend the Ontario Energy

Board Act, 1998

His

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

Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Alternative

home heating fuel strategy

(1) Within

three months after the day this

section comes into force, the Minister of

Energy shall develop an alternative home heating fuel strategy setting out a

plan for the provision of rate assistance for low-income consumers of home

heating fuels other than electricity or gas.

Contents

(2) The

alternative home heating fuel strategy shall include the following:

1. A

plan for providing emergency rate assistance to eligible consumers.

2. A

plan for providing ongoing rate assistance to eligible consumers.

3. The

consumers or classes of consumers who are eligible to receive rate assistance.

Publication

(3) The

Minister of Energy shall publish the alternative home heating fuel strategy, within

1 month after it is developed, on a website of the Government of Ontario.

Ontario

Energy Board Act, 1998

The Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 is amended by

adding the following section:

Gas

rate assistance action plan

36.3

(1) Within three

months after the day

section 2 of the Affordable Home

Heating Act, 2024 comes into force, the Board shall develop and submit

to the Minister a gas rate assistance action plan setting out a plan for the

provision of rate assistance for eligible consumers that is consistent with the

purposes set out in subsection (2) of this section.

Purpose

(2) The

purpose of the action plan is to prevent individuals and families in Ontario from

experiencing poverty as a result of the cost of gas.

Contents

(3) The

action plan shall include the following:

1. The

amount of the rate assistance to be provided.

2. The

consumers or classes of consumers who are eligible to receive rate assistance.

3. An

assessment of whether the gas rate assistance should be incorporated into the Ontario

Electricity Support Program continued under subsection 79.2 (2).

4. A

strategy for implementation of rate assistance to consumers.

5. Any

other details the Board considers reasonable.

Publication

and consultation

(4) Within

three months after receiving the action plan, the Minister shall,

(

a) publish

the action plan on a website of the Government of Ontario;

(

b) conduct

public consultations on the contents of the action plan; and

(

c) make

any necessary revisions to the action plan as a result of the public

consultations.

Implementation

of gas rate assistance

(5) The

Minister shall ensure that the action plan, as may be revised under subsection

(4), is implemented by January 1, 2025.

Commencement

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

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Affordable Home Heating

Act, 2024 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

December 9, 2024

Second Reading

Vote

Lost on division

December 5, 2024

Second Reading

Question put

Vote deferred

December 5, 2024

Second Reading

Debated

October 22, 2024

First Reading

Ordered for Second Reading

October 22, 2024

First Reading

Vote

Carried

First Reading

October 22, 2024

Carried

Ordered for Second Reading

Second Reading

December 5, 2024

Babikian, Aris

Scarborough—Agincourt

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Mississauga—Lakeshore

Gallagher Murphy, Dawn

Newmarket—Aurora

McMahon, Mary-Margaret

Beaches—East York

Rakocevic, Tom

Humber River—Black Creek

Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)

St. Catharines

Tabuns, Peter

Toronto—Danforth

Question put

December 9, 2024

Lost on division