Ford Government Moves to Fast-Track Major FOI Changes

The Ontario government appears to be moving quickly to pass recently proposed amendments to Ontario’s Freedom of Information legislation — including significant changes to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

As reported by CBC News, Government House Leader Steve Clark tabled a procedural motion on Thursday that would bypass the normal committee process for the budget bill containing the proposed FOI changes.

Why This Matters

Under the normal legislative process, a bill that has passed Second Reading is typically referred to a legislative committee where it undergoes:

• Public hearings
• Committee debate
• Clause-by-clause review of the bill
• Consideration of proposed amendments

The motion proposes to discharge the order referring Bill 97 to committee, which would effectively cancel these stages of the legislative process.

If the motion passes, the bill could proceed directly to Third Reading, where the Legislature would hold a final debate and vote.

Significant Changes to Ontario’s FOI Framework

As discussed in recent FOI Assist articles, the proposed amendments would introduce some of the most significant changes to Ontario’s FOI system in many years.

Among other things, the proposed legislation would:

• Revise most statutory deadlines
• Shift from counting time in calendar days to business days
• Introduce staged access plans and second time extensions
• Introduce new Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) obligations for municipalities
• Create a new exclusion for records in the custody or control of ministers’ offices and parliamentary assistants’ offices

Some of these changes could come into effect as early as July 1, 2026, meaning Ontario institutions may soon need to adjust their FOI procedures and internal workflows.

Free Seminar on the Proposed Changes

These proposed reforms will be the focus of the next session in the free FOI Assist Seminar Series (2026).

Seminar #3: Significant Changes to Ontario’s FOI Legislation

Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Time: 10:00 am Eastern (Toronto Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Format: Live online seminar (Zoom)

If you work with Freedom of Information requests at an Ontario provincial or municipal institution, this seminar will provide a clear explanation of the proposed legislative changes and what they could mean for your day-to-day FOI work.

Seminar participation is free for FOI Assist Knowledge Base subscribers, but advance registration is required.

With parts of the legislation potentially coming into force as early as July 2026, now is a good time to become familiar with the proposed changes and begin preparing for the new rules.

The FOI Assist software will support the new legislative requirements as soon as the amendments come into force, including updated timelines and new tools designed to help institutions manage the revised FOI process.

If you would like to learn more about how FOI Assist can help your institution prepare for and implement these changes, please feel free to contact FOI Assist.