June 10, 2026
Get an inside look at how bills become laws in Ontario.
Video transcript
Duration: 6:35
Amanda Cupido: From the moment you wake up, to the moment you go to sleep, you can see the impact of Ontario's laws. They show up as license plates on cars, hospitals filled with doctors, and the provincial parks we enjoy. They protect our rights at work, in school, and in our communities. But have you ever wondered, "Where do these laws come from? Who decides what becomes a law? And how does it all happen?"
Hi, I'm Amanda Cupido and I'm going to give you a behind-the-scenes look at where it all begins—with a bill—and explain how a bill becomes a law in Ontario. But first let's tackle "What is a bill?"
A bill is a proposed law that is introduced to the Legislative Assembly for consideration by a member of provincial Parliament (or MPP). It may be a proposal to make new laws or change existing laws. Now, bills can be public or private. Private bills originate with a municipality, company, or individual, and mostly helps a particular person or group get an exemption from the general law. We're not going to focus on these kinds of bills.
Let's talk more about public bills. There are three types: private member's public bills, committee bills, and government bills. Private member's public bills are introduced by members who are not ministers. Committee bills are introduced by the Chairs of certain standing committees, but there hasn't been one of those in over 20 years. Government bills are introduced by cabinet ministers. These tend to get the most amount of public attention and can be about spending public money or creating a tax.
So, let's focus on government bills for the rest of this video. First, let's take a peek at what they look like. There are five main elements:
- the crest of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
- the bill number
- the long title
- the sponsor
- and reading and royal assent dates
Now, those dates are important. They indicate when the bill passed through all the stages of the legislative process. This process is essentially what makes it an Ontario law. But not every bill becomes a law.
Let's break down the steps for the ones that do. The first step is introduction and first reading.
Joanne McNair is a table research clerk here at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and she explains what this entails.
Joanne McNair: Introduction and first reading of a bill is the means by which the bill comes before the House so that the House can consider it. So any member who wants to present a bill does so during one of two proceedings. They rise in their place and ask the House for permission to bring forward the bill and that it be given first reading.
Hon. Andrea Khanjin: Thank you, Speaker. I move that leave be given to introduce a bill entitled An Act to amend various Acts, and that is now be read for the first time.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Ms. Khanjin has moved that leave be given to introduce a bill entitled An Act to amend various Acts and that it now be read for the first time.
Joanne McNair: There is no debate at this stage. Once a bill has received first reading, if the House agrees to that, it is printed and distributed and also published on the website so that the public can see what the bill is all about.
Amanda Cupido: The next step is second reading.
The Deputy Clerk (Ms. Valerie Quioc Lim): Order G30, second reading of Bill 30, An Act to amend various statutes with respect to employment and labour and other matters.
Joanne McNair: The second reading debate is supposed to focus primarily on what we call the purpose of the bill, which is like the big idea behind the bill. Why do we need this law? What will this law accomplish? How will it work when it's passed? It's not meant to look at the very specific details of the bill. That comes later on in the process. Various bills get different types of debate in terms of length.
Amanda Cupido: This is the stage that gets the most debate. And, for government bills, it's usually at least six and a half hours. Then it's time for the bill to be considered by a committee where the specific details are discussed.
Joanne McNair: The committee can call witnesses, which can include experts in the field that the bill touches on. It can include interest groups who might be supportive or oppose the bill. Members of the general public who just want to have their say on the bill. And then once that process is done, once they've heard from all their witnesses, the committee begins what we call "clause-by-clause consideration."
Amanda Cupido: That means they go through line by line and vote on each section individually.
Joanne McNair: Members of the committee can propose amendments to the bill to try to improve it in some way.
Amanda Cupido: Once completed, the committee reports the bill back to the House. The House will then decide if it accepts the committee report and—spoiler—they usually do. Next, it's ordered for third reading.
Joanne McNair: This is the opportunity for members to have a final say on the bill in its final form, because we can't make any more amendments at this stage. Amendments happen only in committee.
The Clerk-at-the-Table (Ms. Julia Douglas): Order G60, resuming the debate adjourned earlier today on the third reading of Bill 60, An Act to amend various Acts and to enact the Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act 2025.
Amanda Cupido: This stage tends to be short, and occasionally there's not even any debate. Basically, if a bill receives its third reading, it's considered passed by the House, but it is still not a law.
Joanne McNair: For a bill to become an actual law, it needs the agreement of the crown, what we call "royal assent," and the crown in Ontario is represented by the lieutenant governor.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): May it please your honor, the Legislative Assembly of the province has at its present meeting thereof, passed certain bills to which in the name and on behalf of the said Legislative Assembly, I respectfully request Your Honour's assent.
Joanne McNair: All bills that are passed by the House that have received third reading are presented to the lieutenant governor, who signs them in the sovereign's name. And that act is what makes the bill a law, or an Act of Parliament, and it becomes part of the public body of law, or the statutes of the province.
The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day): In His Majesty's name, the Honourable Lieutenant Governor assents to these bills.
Amanda Cupido: Royal assent usually happens in the House or the Lieutenant Governor's suite. Once the bill has received royal assent, it is officially a law.
If you want to learn more about Ontario's bills, visit ola.org and select the Legislative Business tab.
For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, I'm Amanda Cupido.
Learn more
Visit Legislative business.
Find current bills.
Read the research paper How an Ontario Bill Becomes Law.