Amendment to the French Language Services Act - Spring 2021 Red Tape Reduction Package
Regulation Number(s):
N/A
Instrument Type:
Act
Bill or Act:
French Language Services Act
Summary of Proposal:
The FLSA currently prevents municipal and joint long-term care homes from seeking voluntary designation as French language services (FLS) providers under the Act.
The ministries are proposing to amend the definition of government agency in Section 1 (d) of the FLSA to allow municipal and joint long-term care homes to voluntarily seek a designation with the support of municipal authorities.
Key stakeholders, including the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the City of Toronto, as well as long-term care service providers, are supportive of the proposed amendment.
Failing to make this change will continue the exclusion of municipal and joint long-term care homes from the process of seeking and obtaining designation status and, as a result, a key opportunity will be missed to protect FLS services in the health care sector.
The ministries are proposing to amend the definition of government agency in Section 1 (d) of the FLSA to allow municipal and joint long-term care homes to voluntarily seek a designation with the support of municipal authorities.
Key stakeholders, including the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the City of Toronto, as well as long-term care service providers, are supportive of the proposed amendment.
Failing to make this change will continue the exclusion of municipal and joint long-term care homes from the process of seeking and obtaining designation status and, as a result, a key opportunity will be missed to protect FLS services in the health care sector.
Analysis of Regulatory Impact:
The only mechanism available to allow municipal and joint long-term care homes to voluntarily seek a designation is to amend the definition of government agency in Section 1(d) of the FLSA.
a) Direct compliance costs to business on municipalities:
If passed, the proposal would not result in additional direct costs or legal liability for municipalities, which would only need to formally support, through a letter of endorsement, the requests for designation from their municipal and joint long-term care homes.
b) Direct compliance costs to business on agencies:
When voluntarily seeking a designation, agencies must already have the capacity to deliver FLS fully funded by their existing budgets. There are no additional costs to the agencies associated with a designation status.
If the proposal is passed, designated municipal and joint long-term care homes would become subject to the FLSA and, like all designated agencies, they would also be subject to investigation by the French Language Services Commissioner.
There are no additional costs on the public, the not-for-profit sector or government.
a) Direct compliance costs to business on municipalities:
If passed, the proposal would not result in additional direct costs or legal liability for municipalities, which would only need to formally support, through a letter of endorsement, the requests for designation from their municipal and joint long-term care homes.
b) Direct compliance costs to business on agencies:
When voluntarily seeking a designation, agencies must already have the capacity to deliver FLS fully funded by their existing budgets. There are no additional costs to the agencies associated with a designation status.
If the proposal is passed, designated municipal and joint long-term care homes would become subject to the FLSA and, like all designated agencies, they would also be subject to investigation by the French Language Services Commissioner.
There are no additional costs on the public, the not-for-profit sector or government.
Further Information:
French Language Services ActProposal Number:
21-MFA005
Posting Date:
April 15, 2021
Comments Due Date:
May 25, 2021
Contact Address:
700 Bay St Suite 2501
Toronto ON
M7A 0A2
Toronto ON
M7A 0A2
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