Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund Act, 2026

S.O. 2026, CHAPTER 7
Schedule 3

Consolidation Period:  From June 2, 2026 to the e-Laws currency date.

No amendments.

Note: THIS ACT IS NOT YET IN FORCE. It comes into force on a day to be named by order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

CONTENTS

 

Definitions

1 In this Act,

“Committee” means the committee continued under section 5; (“Comité”)

“Fund” means the fund continued under section 2; (“Fonds”)

“Minister” means the Solicitor General or such other member of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of this Act may be assigned or transferred under the Executive Council Act; (“ministre”)

“prescribed” means prescribed by the regulations; (“prescrit”)

“public safety officer” means,

(a) a police officer as defined in subsection 2 (1) of the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019,

(b) a First Nation Officer as defined in subsection 2 (1) of the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019,

(c) a firefighter as defined in subsection 1 (1) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997,

(d) a person employed under Part III of the Public Service of Ontario Act, 2006 as a correctional officer, probation officer or parole officer, or any combination thereof,

(e) a probation officer as defined in section 144 of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, or

(f) a member of any other prescribed category; (“agent de sécurité publique”)

“regulations” means the regulations made under this Act. (“règlements”)

Fund continued

2 (1) The Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund established by Order in Council 1453/97 is continued under this Act under the name Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund in English and Fonds Joe MacDonald de bourses d’études à l’intention des survivants d’agents de sécurité publique in French.

Purpose

(2) The purpose of the Fund is to provide and distribute scholarships to provide for the costs of tuition and student living allowances for post-secondary education to the surviving spouses and children of public safety officers who died in the line of duty or in other prescribed circumstances.

Initial balance transfer

(3) On the day this section comes into force, the amount of the balance that was credited to the Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund established by Order in Council 1453/97, including, for greater certainty, the initial principal amount of $5 million and any interest earned but not paid out from the Fund, shall be credited to the account of the Fund continued under this Act.

Additional funding

(4) The Treasury Board, having regard to the Fund’s condition, expenditures and forecasted liability, may direct that the Fund be credited with such an amount as may be considered necessary or advisable.

Authorized charges

(5) Amounts may be charged to the Fund and paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the following purposes:

1. To fund the grant of a scholarship as described in section 4.

2. To fund reimbursement of the expenses of the Committee as described in subsection 5 (5).

3. For any other prescribed purpose in respect of the administration of the Fund.

Minister’s responsibility

3 The Minister shall be responsible for the granting and administration of scholarships under this Act.

Applications for scholarships

4 (1) A spouse or a child of a public safety officer who died in the line of duty or in the prescribed circumstances may apply to the Minister for a scholarship from the Fund to support their education at a post-secondary institution.

Form and manner of application

(2) The application must be made in the form and manner approved by the Minister.

Granting of scholarships

(3) The Minister shall grant a scholarship to the applicant if, in the Minister’s opinion, the application has met the prescribed criteria, taking into account any recommendations of the Committee.

Amount

(4) The amount of the scholarship shall be determined in accordance with the rules set out in the regulations and may, for greater certainty, include amounts respecting the cost of tuition or a student living allowance.

Ongoing eligibility

(5) A person who has been granted a scholarship under this Act must meet the prescribed eligibility criteria, if any, in order to continue receiving the scholarship.

Committee

5 (1) The Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund Committee established by Order in Council 1453/97 is continued under this Act.

Mandate

(2) The Committee shall review applications submitted under this Act and make recommendations to the Minister about them.

Members

(3) The Minister shall appoint the members of the Committee for a term not exceeding three years and may reappoint members for any number of additional terms which each must not exceed three years.

Chair

(4) The Minister shall designate one member of the Committee as the chair and may designate one or more members as vice-chairs.

Reimbursement for reasonable expenses

(5) The members of the Committee shall not receive remuneration but may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in performing their duties under this Act in accordance with the directives or guidelines issued by the Management Board of Cabinet.

Expenses

(6) The expenses of the Committee shall be paid from the Fund.

Committee’s recommendations

(7) The Committee shall recommend to the Minister that a scholarship be granted if the prescribed criteria are satisfied.

Regulations

6 The Minister may make regulations,

(a) prescribing anything that this Act refers to as being prescribed or set out in the regulations;

(b) governing the administration of the Fund, including payment out of the fund, the recognition of revenue and the incurrence of expenditures;

(c) governing applications for scholarships under this Act;

(d) governing the determination of the amount of a scholarship granted under this Act;

(e) governing the administration of scholarships granted under this Act;

(f) establishing rules or requirements that apply in order for a person to continue to receive a scholarship that has been granted under this Act;

(g) defining or clarifying the meaning of any word or expression used in this Act that is not otherwise defined in this Act, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing,

(i) “child”,

(ii) “died in the line of duty”,

(iii) “parent”,

(iv) “post-secondary institution”,

(v) “student living allowance”;

(h) governing transitional matters that may arise due to the enactment of Schedule 3 to the Keeping Criminals Behind Bars Act, 2026;

(i) respecting any other matter necessary or advisable to implement this Act effectively.

7 Omitted (provides for coming into force of provisions of this Act).

8 Omitted (enacts short title of this Act).