EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill enacts the Right to Timely Mental Health and Addiction Care for Children and Youth Act, 2021.

The Act requires the Minister to ensure that a person who is less than 26 years old, resides in Ontario and has been deemed to require a mental health or addiction service receives access to the required mental health or addiction service within 30 days of being deemed to require the service.

Bill 79 2021

An Act to enact the Right to Timely Mental Health and Addiction Care for Children and Youth Act, 2021

Preamble

Children and youth across Ontario experience mental health and addiction issues that impact their lives and the lives of those around them. Prioritizing child and youth mental health and addiction services is the right and fiscally responsible thing to do.

Early interventions are more effective in addressing health issues. Guaranteeing access to mental health and addiction services within 30 days will provide children and youth the support they need in a timely manner and will enable them to grow and to live their lives to the fullest.

Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Wait times for mental health services

1 (1)  The Minister shall ensure that a person described in subsection (2) shall be provided with access to a required mental health or addiction service within 30 days after being deemed by a mental health service provider as requiring that service.

Application

(2)  Subsection (1) applies to a person who,

  (a)  is less than 26 years old;

  (b)  resides in Ontario; and

  (c)  has been deemed to require a mental health or addiction service by a mental health service provider.

Definition

(3)  In this section,

“Minister” means the Minister of Health or such other member of the Executive Council as may be assigned the administration of this Act under the Executive Council Act.

Regulations

2 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations,

  (a)  defining, for the purposes of this Act and the regulations, any word or expression used in this Act that has not already been expressly defined in this Act;

  (b)  prescribing the mental health and addiction services that are required in prescribed circumstances;

  (c)  establishing a system to monitor compliance with this Act and the regulations.

Commencement

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

Short title

4 The short title of this Act is the Right to Timely Mental Health and Addiction Care for Children and Youth Act, 2021.