§Sector
Health Care
Health professions, hospitals, long-term care, public health, drugs and pharmacies.
Watch this sector via RSSKeeping Criminals Behind Bars Act, 2026, S.O. 2026, c. 7
Future-dated record. Check the official text for the provisions and dates that apply.
New rules for OHIP coverage of out-of-Canada drug-administration services, with retroactive effect back to 2011
Ontario's health insurance regulation now sets out a distinct pathway for covering services performed outside Canada that consist mainly of administering a drug. To qualify, the drug and its administration must be pub…
Pandemic-era coronavirus exemption provisions removed from pharmacy prescription rules
The regulation has been updated to remove all references to the COVID-19 coronavirus exemption that had been in place since March 2020. Practically, the expanded definition of 'adapt' that applied to controlled substa…
Ontario Family Law Rules updated: new powers to dismiss abusive cases, secure-treatment court procedures added
Several significant changes have been made to Ontario's Family Law Rules. A new Rule 1.4 gives courts the power to stay or dismiss cases or motions that appear frivolous, vexatious, or an abuse of process — either on…
Minor wording tweak simplifies how source protection plans can reference Ontario Regulation 137/25
A small wording change removes the phrase 'the making of' from the provision that allows source protection plans to be amended without full approval processes when accounting for Ontario Regulation 137/25. In practice…
Canada Disability Benefit split into two parts: a base 'allocation' and a new $150 'supplemental amount'
The Canada Disability Benefit has been restructured so that what was previously called simply 'the benefit' is now called the 'allocation,' and a separate new component called the 'supplemental amount' of $150 has bee…
Ontario OHIP dental benefit rules updated: new fee schedule references, revised payment rates for dental surgeons
The regulation governing which dental services OHIP covers and how much it pays has been updated in several practical ways. The definition of insured dental services now points to the dental benefit schedule's named c…
ODSP income support eligibility rules for non-citizens consolidated and tightened
The rules about who is ineligible for Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) income support based on immigration status have been rewritten. The previous multi-category approach (covering deportation orders, visito…
Ontario Works eligibility rules updated for non-citizens with uncertain immigration status
The rules determining which non-citizens can receive Ontario Works assistance have been restructured and simplified. The previous multi-category approach—which separately addressed deportation orders, visitors, and to…
Three new synthetic opioid-related substances added to Canada's controlled substances watch list
The amendment formally incorporates three substances into Schedule V of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for a one-year period: two synthetic opioids — Spirobrorphine and Spirochlorphine — are added as controll…
Health Canada can now approve drugs by relying on trusted foreign regulators' reviews instead of repeating the full examination
A new federal order lets drug manufacturers ask Health Canada to treat certain parts of its review as already completed, based on a decision or review document from an approved foreign regulator. This applies to new d…
Several health-care and social-services employers added to or removed from BC public-sector employer lists
Two schedules of designated public-sector employers under BC's Public Sector Employers Act have been updated. In the health-care sector, Beacon Community Services Society, Elizabeth Bagshaw Society, and Morgan Place H…
Key child welfare provisions of the Supporting Children's Futures Act take effect July 2026
Sections 27, 28, and 33 of the Supporting Children's Futures Act, 2024 have been proclaimed into force, meaning they now carry the full weight of law rather than sitting dormant on the books. These three provisions am…
Pending-amendment notice removed as new child welfare privacy rules take effect
A notice that had flagged upcoming privacy restrictions as 'not yet in force' has been removed from the regulation, meaning the underlying rules are now active consolidated text rather than prospective changes. The ne…
Future-amendment notes removed as provisions now in force for child and family services providers
Two 'Note' markers that flagged upcoming changes scheduled for July 1, 2026 have been removed from the regulation text. This means the provisions they referenced — requirements for societies and licensees to display i…
Child care centre rules updated: inspectors added to reporting chain, medication rules expanded, and sexual abuse explicitly prohibited
Several practical changes have been made to the rules governing licensed child care centres and home child care agencies. Licensees must now send copies of health or fire authority directions and serious occurrence re…
Privacy protections for children's care records get a firm effective date under Ontario's child welfare law
Three provisions that were previously passed but held pending proclamation now have a confirmed effective date. The changes restrict how child welfare societies and other prescribed entities may use or disclose person…
The Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 have been formally repealed
The entire Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 (SOR/2012-285) have been repealed. All of the rules in that instrument — including the prohibitions on manufacturing, using, selling, importing or o…
B.C. expands permitted roles for correctional staff to include assisting inmate medical treatment
This order brings into force sections 28 to 32 of the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, and amends the Correction Act Regulation. The amendment adds a new permitted activity for correctional staff: they may…
BC disability assistance eligibility expanded to include federally designated Indigenous persons with disabilities
The regulation now adds a new category of person who qualifies for BC's Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation without going through the province's full assessment process. Specifically, someone who already holds…
BC disability and income assistance rules updated to exempt new child disability benefit payments and remove outdated family bonus provisions
Payments made under the new BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit are being added as exempt income for people receiving disability assistance, meaning those payments will not reduce assistance amounts or count agai…
Upcoming rules expand source-protection permit requirements for municipal drinking water systems
Starting in mid-2026, owners of municipal residential drinking water systems in source protection areas will face broader obligations when seeking permit or licence amendments. The changes extend existing source-prote…
Ontario drinking water source protection rules streamlined: online publication replaces physical inspection requirements, new amendment pathways added
A series of changes to the Clean Water Act general regulation reduce the administrative burden on source protection committees and authorities by removing requirements to make draft documents (terms of reference, asse…
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program restructured into three new workforce-priority streams
Ontario has overhauled its Immigrant Nominee Program by replacing the previous eight applicant categories (foreign worker, international student with job offer, in-demand skills, master's graduate, Ph.D. graduate, hum…
Ontario child care centres face new safety rules on supervision, physical hazards, missing-child drills and staff training
A package of amendments tightens safety requirements for licensed child care centres and home child care agencies in Ontario. New sections require centres to have written child-supervision policies (including counting…
Ontario pounds must record destruction method and will adopt CCAC euthanasia guidelines for dogs and cats
Amendments scheduled to take effect in early 2027 make three practical changes to how Ontario pound operators handle animal destruction. First, whenever an animal is destroyed, the pound's records must now also captur…
Ontario research and supply facilities face updated euthanasia rules, recordkeeping requirements and facility standards
Starting in early 2027, research and supply facilities in Ontario that use animals must follow new euthanasia rules that replace the current lists of permitted procedures with references to the Canadian Council on Ani…
Ontario tightens animal research rules: new permit criteria, invasive research definitions, and coming changes to exemptions
A set of future amendments — all taking effect at the same time in early 2027 — will significantly update the rules governing research facilities that use animals in Ontario. The changes introduce a formal definition…
Administrative support for National Housing Council shifted from CMHC to the Minister
The National Housing Strategy Act has been updated so that the Minister—rather than Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)—is now responsible for providing the National Housing Council with the administrative…
Cabinet gains power to override Minister's pest-product bans on economic or food security grounds
The Act now allows the Governor in Council (Cabinet) to issue orders that register or amend the registration of a pest control product even after the Minister has refused to do so on environmental grounds, provided Ca…
Medical Devices Regulations updated: new shortage-reporting, discontinuation-posting and quality-procedure rules for device industry
Canada's Medical Devices Regulations have been amended in several practical areas. Manufacturers, importers and distributors of 'specified' medical devices (those on a government-maintained list) must now publicly pos…
BC Shared Health Services added to Education and Health Sector Organizations list
The Education and Health Sector Organizations Regulation has been amended to add BC Shared Health Services as a designated organization under the regulation. At the same time, two previously listed organizations (para…
Non-licensed retailers can now sell certain over-the-counter hearing aids and related software without a regulated practitioner
The regulation has been updated to explicitly allow businesses and individuals who are not registered health practitioners to sell specific wearable hearing instruments without needing dispensing authority. To qualify…
Licensed precursor dealers get new employee-diversion duty, mandatory suspicious-transaction reporting, and a new controlled substance added
Several overlapping changes have been consolidated into the live text of Canada's Precursor Control Regulations. First, anyone applying for or renewing a precursor dealer licence must now declare in their application…
Quarterly benefit adjustment rules expanded to cover three additional benefit types under Old Age Security
The rounding and adjustment rules used to calculate quarterly cost-of-living increases have been updated to cover three additional benefit types beyond the pension and supplement that were previously listed. Specifica…
Parking exemption for long-term care facility in Port Hope zoning order has been revoked
The provision that waived the minimum parking requirement for a long-term care facility on this site has been formally revoked and removed from the regulation. All other site-specific zoning rules remain in place: acc…
Minor wording clarification to security clearance suspension rules for human pathogen facility workers
The regulations governing security clearances for people who work with human pathogens and toxins have been updated with two small wording changes. The phrase describing grounds for suspending a clearance has been adj…
Mattress flammability rules updated to reference the 2023 cigarette-test standard
The combustion-resistance requirement for mattresses now references the updated Canadian General Standards Board test standard (CAN/CGSB-4.2 No. 27.7-2023, published January 2023) instead of the 2013 version. The pass…
Technical standard names updated for residential smoke detectors, heat detectors, and fire alarm components
The regulations that set mandatory safety standards for residential smoke detectors, heat-actuated fire detectors, smoke alarms, audible signal devices, and control units have been updated to reference revised ULC sta…
Two transitional cannabis provisions repealed as their temporary relief periods have ended
Two temporary transitional provisions in the Cannabis Regulations — section 360 (packaging and labelling relief for medical cannabis licence holders) and section 362 (registration document relief for medical cannabis…
Housekeeping edits add amendment citations to sperm and ova safety consent provisions — no substantive rule changes
The Safety of Sperm and Ova Regulations were updated with purely formal ("(F)") amendments that append citation references to three existing consent-documentation provisions. The underlying rules themselves are unchan…
Biocides Regulations updated with housekeeping cross-references to a 2026 amending instrument
Two provisions in the Biocides Regulations have been updated to add a citation to a subsequent amending order (SOR/2026-113). One change annotates the rule allowing certain labelling information to be omitted from a m…
Ontario creates new provincial rules requiring transit systems in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area to align fares, payment, and accessibility services
A new Ontario law establishes provincial authority over local transit systems operating in Toronto, Hamilton, and the four surrounding regional municipalities (Durham, Halton, Peel, York). The Minister of Transportati…
Ontario drinking water law updated to recognize new water and wastewater public corporations and streamline consent rules
Ontario has amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to expand the definition of 'municipal drinking water system' to include systems owned by corporations designated as water and wastewater public corporations under the n…
Non-profit retirement homes are now exempt from municipal development charges in Ontario
A new exemption removes development charges for retirement home projects developed by provincially or federally incorporated non-profit corporations in good standing. Any development charge that became payable before…
Coroner's inquests now ban unauthorized photos, recordings and dissemination — with fines up to $25,000
A new section of the Coroners Act prohibits anyone from taking photos, audio or video recordings at a coroner's inquest, of people entering or leaving the inquest room, or of people in the building who appear to be at…
Ontario bans breeding cats and dogs for research, tightens rules on invasive animal research and sharply raises penalties
A set of amendments (not yet in force) makes several significant changes to how animal research and supply facilities operate in Ontario. Supply facility operators will be prohibited from breeding cats or dogs for res…
B.C. workers' compensation dollar thresholds raised across the board following CPI adjustment
A new regulation under the Workers Compensation Act replaces 24 specific dollar amounts throughout the Act with higher figures, reflecting a Consumer Price Index adjustment. The changes affect monetary thresholds and…
Military pension rate table updated: new 2026 annual amount added
The pension rate table under the Pension Act has been updated to include a new annual figure for 2026, set at $3,513.48. This follows the existing series of annual rate adjustments and extends the schedule by one year…
Protection corridor maps updated for SickKids and St. Michael's Hospital heliport flight paths
The zoning order that restricts building heights near two Toronto hospital heliports has been updated to reference new official corridor maps. The map numbers defining the protected air corridors for The Hospital for…
Ontario bans cat declawing, dog devocalization, and ear cropping except for medical necessity
A new regulation under Ontario's Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act formally prohibits three surgical procedures on companion animals: declawing (onychectomy) on cats, devocalization on dogs, and ear cropping on d…
Homeless shelters, retirement homes, and long-term care homes are exempt from the illegal drug activity landlord rules
A new regulation carves out three categories of premises from the definition of
New regulation names specific federal drug offence as trigger for Ontario's illegal drug premises law
A new Ontario regulation identifies one specific federal offence — contravening the provision of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that relates to certain drug-related activity — as a "prescribed offence" under…
Ontario coroner rules updated: mandatory tissue collection for genetic conditions, new 50-year retention, and family genetic testing requests
Amendments taking effect in early 2027 make significant changes to how pathologists and coroners handle tissue samples when a genetic condition is believed to have contributed to a death. Pathologists and coroners wil…
Several B.C. health-sector public bodies renamed or replaced under privacy law's oversight schedules
This regulation updates the lists of public bodies and associations subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Eight health-related bodies — including BC Clinical and Support Services Society…
Ontario pharmacists and pharmacy technicians gain expanded vaccine and minor-ailment prescribing authority
The regulation adds tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccines to the list of vaccines that eligible pharmacy members are authorized to administer by injection. Separately, a future change (taking effect mid-2026) wi…
Out-of-province health professionals now explicitly covered as dispensers and prescribers of monitored drugs
The regulation now formally defines "out of province health professional" — a person from outside Ontario who is exempt from certain title-use and practice restrictions under Ontario's health profession laws. The defi…
Out-of-province pharmacy technicians added to Ontario's controlled-acts exemption framework
The regulation now formally defines "out of province pharmacy technician" as a person exempted from Ontario registration requirements under the Pharmacy Act, 1991 who holds the equivalent of an Ontario pharmacy techni…
B.C. sets detailed rules for when firearms are permitted on schools, hospitals, child-care and other protected sites
British Columbia has created a new regulation under the Firearm Violence Prevention Act that spells out exactly who may bring a firearm or imitation firearm onto "designated properties" — schools, hospitals, child-car…
B.C. expands list of diseases that must be reported to public health authorities
The Reporting Information Affecting Public Health Regulation has been amended in two stages. First, a subsection governing reporting requirements was removed. Second, nine additional diseases were added to the mandato…
Remaining part of B.C.'s Health Professions and Occupations Act section 1 brought into force
The B.C. government has brought into force the remaining portion of section 1 of the Health Professions and Occupations Act that was not yet operative. This is a commencement regulation — it activates existing statuto…
Future amendments flagged: indemnity approval requirement for Ontario health Agency and Service Organization set to be removed
The consolidated text of the Connecting Care Act, 2019 now includes prospective amendment notices signalling that, once brought into force by Lieutenant Governor in Council order, the requirement for Agency and Servic…
BC Shared Health Services added to the list of designated health care employers in BC
The Health Care Employers Regulation has been amended to include "BC Shared Health Services" in its list of designated health care employers under section 2. This means BC Shared Health Services is now subject to the…
Respirator approval rules for designated substances expanded to recognize CSA Group certification
Starting mid-2026, respirators used under Ontario's Designated Substances regulation will be accepted if approved by NIOSH, by the CSA Group (a newly recognized certifier), or by another agency whose protection is jud…
Asbestos rules to accept CSA-certified respirators alongside NIOSH-approved ones starting mid-2026
Amendments scheduled to take effect add the CSA Group (CSA) as an accepted respirator certification body alongside the existing NIOSH standard for asbestos work on construction projects and in buildings. Workers and e…
Respirator approval rules updated to recognize CSA Group certification alongside NIOSH
Starting mid-2026, respirators provided to workers can be approved by the CSA Group (CSA) as an alternative to NIOSH approval, not just by NIOSH or a qualified-opinion-backed third party. The amendment adds CSA as a r…
Canada's controlled-substances schedules restructured and new substances added to temporary-control lists
Schedule V has been split into two parts: Part 1 now lists controlled substances subject to temporary scheduling, while Part 2 houses precursors (Class A, Class B, and preparations/mixtures). As a result, the definiti…
Cosmetics labelling now requires separate disclosure of fragrance allergens above set concentration thresholds
Cosmetic product labels must now individually name any ingredient that qualifies as a 'fragrance allergen' — defined as a fragrance or flavour capable of causing an allergic reaction that appears on the EU's Restricte…
Precursor Control Regulations expanded to cover new Schedule V substances and four new chemicals added to controlled schedule
The definitions of Class A and Class B precursors have been broadened to include substances listed in the newly created Schedule V to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, in addition to the existing Schedule VI su…
B.C. expands restricted-activity permissions for occupational therapists, opticians, optometrists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and pharmacists
This amendment broadens what several regulated health professions can do without additional authorization. Occupational therapists gain the ability to administer oxygen by inhalation and, if certified, to perform woun…
'Health occupation' definition added to B.C. private training rules, replacing vague 'health field' language
The Private Training Regulation has been updated to introduce a precise definition of 'health occupation,' replacing the broader phrase 'in the health field' used in two existing definitions. 'Health occupation' is no…
BC brings into force new Medicare Protection Act section on extra billing or user charges
British Columbia has proclaimed in force a provision of the Medicare Protection Amendment Act, 2003 that adds sections 18.1(1) and (2) to the Medicare Protection Act. These provisions had been enacted by the legislatu…
B.C. brings into force 2025 amendments to Health Care Costs Recovery Act and updates supporting regulation
British Columbia has activated the Health Care Costs Recovery Amendment Act, 2025 and made corresponding updates to its supporting regulation. The amendments update cross-references within the regulation to reflect ne…
BC Shared Health Services added to whistleblower and lobbying oversight frameworks
A new provincial health body called BC Shared Health Services has been added to the schedule of government bodies covered by the Public Interest Disclosure Act, meaning employees of that organization can now make prot…
B.C. removes Community Health Councils from three health authority regulations
Three regulations under the Health Authorities Act have been updated to remove all references to Community Health Councils and their associated provisions. The Amalgamation of Regional Health Boards and Community Heal…
BC updates funeral cost supplement rules: new service definitions, $1,685 cap, and revised transportation rates
The Employment and Assistance Regulation has been amended to change how funeral cost supplements are calculated and paid for eligible recipients. The definition of
Federal Court of Appeal jurisdiction over Social Security Tribunal expanded to cover new disability benefit decisions
The Federal Courts Act has been updated to bring two previously pending amendments into force in the consolidated text. The Social Security Tribunal's Appeal Division decisions are now subject to Federal Court of Appe…
Permanent resident status fee waived for certain Afghan nationals approved under specific public policies
A new federal remission order cancels the permanent resident status fee for Afghan nationals whose permanent residence applications were approved under one of three specific temporary public policies — covering famili…
Federal government remits permanent residence application fees for certain out-of-status construction workers and pandemic healthcare workers
This new federal order grants a refund (or waiver) of the processing fees for permanent resident applications made on humanitarian and compassionate grounds by two specific groups: out-of-status construction workers i…
Permanent resident application fee waived for certain Afghan nationals approved under specific public policies
The federal government has created a new remission order that cancels the permanent resident status fee for certain Afghan nationals whose applications were approved under one of three specific temporary public polici…
Canada overhauls Human Pathogens and Toxins Act: new registry, tougher penalties, and stricter security rules for labs
The federal Human Pathogens and Toxins Act has been significantly restructured. The previous system of static numbered schedules listing regulated pathogens and toxins is replaced by a new Minister-maintained online r…
Veterans' pension basic rates locked in retroactively from 1985 to end of 2026, with new Schedule IV listing exact amounts
The amendment formally establishes the dollar amounts of the basic pension payable to disabled Canadian Forces members for every year from April 1, 1985 through December 31, 2026, consolidating them in a new Schedule…
New power added to define 'province' in Veterans Health Care Regulations, with retroactive reach
The Act now includes a new section giving the Governor in Council the authority to make regulations that define what "province" means for any provision of the Veterans Health Care Regulations. Importantly, those regul…
Veterans Well-being Regulations updated to clarify first-year proration of earnings loss benefit adjustments and repeal transitional CPI provisions
Two sets of changes were made to the Veterans Well-being Regulations. First, two subsections dealing with Consumer Price Index adjustment mechanics (subsections 21(1.1) and 21(1.2)) have been formally repealed, tidyin…
Human Pathogens and Toxins Regulations updated: security added to public-risk tests, licence renewal tied to new Act requirements, and toxin thresholds replaced by ministerial registry
Several practical changes have been made to the regulations governing facilities that handle human pathogens and toxins. The standard for assessing risk to the public now consistently reads 'health, safety or security…
Veterans health care regulations clarify which provinces count for accommodation charge calculations
Two additions clarify what "province" means when calculating maximum monthly accommodation and meal charges for veterans in long-term care. A new subsection explicitly limits the definition of "province" to the ten na…
Police undercover exemptions expanded to cover Schedule V substances; related provisions confirmed retroactively
The amendment extends the 'holding out' exemptions for police officers and their civilian agents to cover substances in Schedule V, in addition to Schedules I through IV that were already covered. Previously, a police…
B.C. brings new serious illness or injury leave provision into force for employees
British Columbia has proclaimed section 2 of the Employment Standards (Serious Illness or Injury Leave) Amendment Act, 2025 into force. This provision introduces or modifies a leave entitlement for employees dealing w…
Eight additional cancers added to B.C. firefighters' occupational disease list, service thresholds updated
B.C.'s Firefighters' Occupational Disease Regulation now lists eight additional cancers as presumptive occupational diseases for firefighters: primary site skin cancer, laryngeal cancer, mesothelioma, soft tissue sarc…
B.C. health profession regulations updated: broader physio scope, expanded midwifery powers, and a terminology fix
Three health-profession regulations under the Health Professions and Occupations Act have been amended. Physiotherapists (regulated under the Health and Care Professionals Regulation) have had a system-specific restri…
BC brings most of the Health Professions and Occupations Act into force, with one narrow carve-out
A new order in council replaces the commencement schedule in an earlier regulation to specify exactly which sections of the Health Professions and Occupations Act are now in force. The vast majority of the Act—coverin…
BC disability and income assistance recipients now face stricter limits on housing crisis supplements and moving supplements
Recipients of Employment and Assistance and Disability Assistance now face a cap of one crisis supplement for shelter per family unit in any 12-month period, and no more than two moving-related supplements (covering i…
B.C. child care licensing rules updated: new work-experience paths, competency standards, and approved-institution list revised
The Child Care Licensing Regulation has been amended in several practical ways. First, the name reference to the governing child care statute has been updated to reflect its new title. Second, applicants seeking early…
Residential Tenancy Act no longer applies to rental units in licensed assisted living residences
Rental units inside assisted living residences (as defined under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act) are now exempt from the Residential Tenancy Act. This means the standard tenant protections, rent rules, and…
B.C. adds National Pharmacare drug plan and removes insulin pricing exception for pharmacists
Three linked changes take effect together. First, a new drug plan called Plan NP (National Pharmacare) is created; any person who holds a B.C. medicare card is automatically enrolled in it. Second, the existing rule t…
BC brings major consumer contract and direct sales protections into force, with new rules on subscriptions, fitness contracts, and door-to-door sales
A package of amendments to BC's consumer protection framework takes effect, updating rules across several areas that touch businesses selling directly to consumers. The threshold for a 'future performance contract' is…
Two new synthetic opioid-like compounds added to temporary controlled-substance schedule, effective October 2026
A pending amendment (not yet in force) will add two substances — spirobrorphine and spirochlorphine — to Part 3 of Schedule 4 of the Controlled Substances Regulations for a defined temporary period. During that window…
Federal government waives repayment obligations for Canadians wrongly approved for dental care coverage
This new remission order cancels the debt that certain Canadian Dental Care Plan participants would otherwise owe the federal government. It covers two groups: people whose eligibility or co-payment amounts were misca…