New Ontario laws and regulations are set to enter into force on New Year’s Day, including new rules for safe-arrival in daycare and penalties for accessing patients’ personal health information.
From January 1, 2024, all Ontario child-care operators will be required to create a policy outlining what measures they will take to follow up on a child’s non-arrival or non-pickup. These changes are designed to help prevent the tragic deaths of young children who are accidentally left in hot cars over and over again. Safe arrival systems have already been implemented in schools where children are often younger and more vulnerable, starting as young as 3 or 4 when starting junior kindergarten.
On Monday, Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner will be able to impose fines on individuals or organizations who improperly access or share personal health information.
The province is also introducing new customer rights, including the right to consent to tow, the right to access the vehicle after it has been towed, and the right to invoice and pay.
The province is also assuming control of the towing industry from municipalities, and will require towing operators to be certified, as well as vehicle storage companies to be certified. The province has also added several organisms to its invasive species list for the first time in 2021, including: killer shrimp most crayfish several plants the tree of heaven The province is updating the OSH Act to improve the safety of crane operators on the construction site.
Two new regulations will help ensure that cranes are properly installed, inspected and maintained on a regular basis The province is extending its alcohol cross-border purchasing rules until Jan.
