Bill 19 2003

An Act to establish the
Children's Health and the
Environment Branch of the
Ministry of the Environment

The children of Ontario have a right to a clean and safe environment.

As children grow and develop, they are particularly vulnerable to environmental hazards. There should be an ongoing means by which children are protected from these hazards to ensure that they grow up healthy.

Environmental policies, programs and standards should be based on the most up-to-date research and should provide the highest possible level of protection and support for the health of Ontario's children.

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

Establishment of Branch

1.  A Branch of the Ministry of the Environment to be known in English as the Children's Health and the Environment Branch and in French as Direction de la santé des enfants et de l'environnement shall be established by the Ministry by July 1, 2004.

Function of Branch

2.  (1)  The function of the Branch is to address and diminish the environmental causes of childhood health problems and disease.

Same

(2)  Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the Branch has the following functions:

1. Establishing programs to create a safe and healthy environment for children.

2. Establishing a system to monitor childhood health problems and disease that are caused by environmental factors.

3. Developing and supporting actions to reduce environmental threats to children's health.

4. Engaging in public education for industry and the general public about the environmental causes of childhood health problems and disease.

5. Establishing environmental standards that ensure the healthy development of children from infancy to adulthood.

6. Supporting research on the environmental causes of childhood health problems and disease.

Regulations

3.  The Lieutenant Governor in Council shall make regulations that enable the operation of the Branch.

Commencement

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

Short title

5.  The short title of this Act is the Children's Health and the Environment Branch Act, 2003.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill requires the Ministry of the Environment to establish a Children's Health and the Environment Branch by July 1, 2004.