Fairness and Safety in Sport Act

Summary#

Bill 29 would require schools, post‑secondary schools, and certain provincial sport bodies to set clear rules to keep amateur sports fair and safe. It also makes them report complaints and requests about sport categories, and lets the Minister issue guidelines. The law would start on a date the government sets later (by Proclamation).

• Applies to K–12 school divisions and charter, private, and Francophone schools; public and independent colleges/universities; and some provincial sport organizations.
• Each group must create and keep policies for every amateur competitive sport they run.
• Policies must spell out who is eligible to play and how eligibility is decided.
• Groups must report complaints about these policies and decisions, and report requests for mixed‑gender or mixed‑sex leagues, and when such leagues are created.
• The Minister can publish guidelines on what policies should include and how to interpret them.
• People acting in good faith under the Act (including volunteers and participants) get legal protection from being sued.

What it means for you#

• Students and amateur athletes

  • You should see clearer rules about who can play in each sport and division.
  • There may be new or updated divisions, including mixed‑gender or mixed‑sex options if requested and approved.
  • There will be defined ways to raise a complaint about eligibility decisions.
  • Your personal information could be collected and shared for eligibility and reporting if allowed by future regulations.

• Parents and caregivers

  • You’ll have written policies to review for each sport your child plays.
  • You can expect a process to question or appeal eligibility decisions.
  • Some information about complaints and league types will be reported to the province (not necessarily with names).

• Coaches, volunteers, and officials

  • You will need to follow new policies and keep records on eligibility decisions and complaints.
  • Training or updates may be required to apply the rules consistently.
  • Good‑faith actions under the policy have legal protection from lawsuits.

• Schools, colleges, and sport organizations

  • You must draft, implement, and maintain sport policies that meet provincial requirements.
  • You must submit copies of policies on request and provide regular reports in the format the Minister sets.
  • Expect administrative work to track complaints, requests for mixed‑gender or mixed‑sex leagues, and the creation of those leagues.
  • You may need systems to manage and protect personal information if regulations require data collection.

• Timing

  • The Act is not in effect until the government issues a start date.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Creates clear and consistent rules across schools and sport bodies, which can reduce confusion and disputes.
• Helps protect athlete safety and fairness by requiring eligibility standards and how to apply them.
• Reporting gives the province a better picture of issues in amateur sport, so it can respond with guidance.
• Legal protection for good‑faith actions supports volunteers, coaches, and participants.
• Minister’s guidelines can set province‑wide expectations while allowing sports to tailor details.

Opponents' View#

• Could add paperwork and costs for schools and sport groups to write policies, train staff, and report data.
• Leaves many details to future regulations, so people do not know yet exactly how eligibility will work.
• Collection and sharing of personal information may raise privacy concerns.
• Legal immunity may make it harder for people to seek remedies if they feel harmed by a decision.
• Provincial rules and guidelines might override local judgment or a sport’s unique needs.