Ontario Legislation – Confirming whether an Ontario statute or regulation has come into force
The following are resources you can use to confirm whether a statute or regulation is in full force and effect.
Ontario Legislative Assembly Website
As a bill moves through the legislature, it is printed, amended, reprinted and so on. As a result, there are often several different versions of a bill. The Ontario Legislative Assembly publishes the progress of Bills on its website.
The "Hansard” records of the debates in the legislature can also be accessed for more recent bills, a useful tool if researching the intent or purpose of a provision or statute.
Fig 1.1 Tracking the Progress of Bills on the Ontario Legislative Assembly Website
Fig 1.2 Navigating the Bill Screen
The sponsor and current status of the Bill is provided below the Bill's title (1). This particular Bill has received Royal Assent and has been assigned a chapter number (2). This indicates that the Bill is published in the 2014 volume of the Statutes of Ontario.
Previous versions of the Bill are available (3) and the table across the top provides even more information about the Bill. Be sure to check the “Acts Affected” (4) for a list of statutes affected by this Bill. You can also read the Hansard debate records by clicking on the “Debates” (5) link. If a Bill has been amended several times before receiving Royal Assent, the debate records can provide important context.