Legislative Reform

More positive changes are on the horizon for RVTs. Bill 109, Protecting Ontario’s Food Independence Act, 2026 proposes amendments to the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024 (VPA) to advance the modernization of veterinary medicine in Ontario and better support RVT-owned businesses.

Changing the Veterinarians Act

The OAVT, together with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) and the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), have been advocating for an update to the Veterinarians Act, 1996 for many years to better reflect the current practice of team-based care in veterinary medicine.

On March 7, 2024, Ontario’s former Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Lisa Thompson, announced the new Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024, under the Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act, which formally recognizes RVTs’ growing role in team-based veterinary care. The legislation received Royal Assent on June 6, 2024. Work to bring the full regulatory framework into force is still underway, with implementation expected between in Spring/Summer 2027.

The Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024 is a positive next step in acknowledging the evolving role of Registered Veterinary Technicians in the veterinary profession. The legislation will enable RVTs to use their education and training to benefit animals, veterinary teams, and the public, and will ensure RVTs have a seat at the Council table where the profession is governed, increasing representation of RVTs’ interests and concerns.

Under the new legislation, RVT regulation will shift from the OAVT to a new regulatory college, the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario, regulating veterinarians and RVTs together. This change will allow the OAVT to focus exclusively on its mandate as the professional association for RVTs.

FAQs

What is Bill 109, Protecting Ontario’s Food Independence Act, 2026?

On April 22, 2026, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, Hon. Trevor Jones, introduced Bill 109, Protecting Ontario’s Food Independence Act, 2026. The legislation is intended to strengthen domestic food production, protect farmers, and modernize Ontario’s agri-food sector in the face of global economic uncertainty. If passed, the Act would continue the modernization of veterinary medicine in Ontario, and reduce regulatory burden across the agri-food sector.

The Act is organized into nine schedules amending a range of legislation: the Beef Cattle Marketing Act (Schedule 1), the Farming and Food Production Protection Act (Schedule 2), the new Farmland Security Act (Schedule 3), the Food Safety and Quality Act (Schedule 4), the Milk Act (Schedule 5), the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act (Schedule 6), the Ontario Food Terminal Act (Schedule 7), the Protecting Farmers from Non-Payment Act (Schedule 8), and the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024 (Schedule 9).

For RVTs, Schedule 9 is the most relevant, as it proposes a series of targeted amendments to the VPA. A public consultation on Schedule 9 closed on May 22, 2026. The OAVT submitted a formal response to the consultations.

What does Bill 109 aim to change about the Veterinary Professionals Act?

Bill 109 proposes four targeted amendments to the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024. The most significant for RVTs addresses facility accreditation: the proposed changes would allow for the creation of pathways that protect and support RVT-owned businesses, enabling RVTs to perform authorized activities outside an accredited veterinary facility.

The three additional proposed amendments are: expanding the College’s inspection powers to cover not only accredited clinics but also other buildings, vehicles, or land where veterinary care or related services are offered, consistent with powers under the current Veterinarians Act; allowing the College to address licensing misinformation quickly where someone was registered based on false or misleading information; and clarifying that discipline hearings are between the College and the member, with complainants able to attend and observe but not participate as formal parties.

Will there be more opportunities for RVTs to provide feedback on the Veterinary Professionals Act?

No, the Veterinary Professionals Act received Royal Assent on June 6, 2024, making the Act legally binding within Ontario.

While the opportunity to submit recommendations on the contents of the Act has passed, RVTs will have the chance to comment on other parts of the process such as the draft regulations brought forward by OMAFA. OMAFA is expected to publish draft regulations for public comment in Fall 2026, and RVTs will be able to submit feedback once the comment period opens.

We will be sure to keep our members informed when the regulations are made available for public comment.

We encourage open communication and invite you to contact us at advocacy@oavt.org if you have any questions or would like to discuss further.

When will the regulations be in effect?

Regulations will be determined in ongoing discussions and partnership between the College of Veterinarians/Transition Council, the Government of Ontario and the professionals who work every day in our industry, including RVTs. OMAFA will take the regulatory concepts agreed to by the Transition Council and use them to draft regulations.

Once draft regulations have been developed, they will be posted online for comment, and the OAVT will make a formal submission outlining our position on the draft proposal. We will be sure to keep our members informed as this process progresses and to facilitate your own participation in that phase of consultation.

OMAFA is expected to publish draft regulations in Fall 2026, with final regulations following in Late Fall 2026. The VPA is expected to be proclaimed in Late Fall/Early Winter 2026, with the law in full force between May and August 2027 depending on the length of the transition process.

If there are specific regulations you would like to comment on or to see in place, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at advocacy@oavt.org.

When does RVT scope of practice expand under the new Veterinary Professionals Act?

While the scope of practice for veterinary professionals is defined through an authorized activities model within the new legislation, it has not yet come into force. Before RVTs can practice under the new model, regulations must be developed, reviewed and implemented by the government. These regulations will outline the specifics of how the authorized activities model applies to RVTs, DVMs, students and any other professional or person involved in the practice of veterinary medicine.

The OAVT expects draft regulations to be published for public comment in Fall 2026, with final regulations and the VPA Proclamation Date following in Late Fall/Early Winter 2026. The law is expected to be in full force between May and August 2027*.

Until the regulations come into effect, the current Veterinarians Act remains the legislation that RVTs must adhere to, and the OAVT remains the regulator of the RVT profession.

The OAVT will provide regular updates on this process as it continues and will advise RVTs of important dates as they become available.

What will happen to the OAVT once the changes in the Veterinary Professionals Act are implemented?

The OAVT will continue to play a crucial role as the professional association and voice of RVTs in Ontario. The mandate of the OAVT will shift to focus more on providing services and education for RVTs, as well as advocating on behalf of RVTs to the government and other stakeholders.

Like the role of RVTs, the mandate of the OAVT is evolving to serve our members better.

The OAVT values feedback from our members, and we encourage you to share your thoughts on how we, as an organization, can best support RVTs moving forward by emailing us at advocacy@oavt.org.

What is the difference between self-regulation and professional regulation?

In practice, the regulatory process between self-regulation and professional regulation has one main difference – who the regulator is. In this case, RVTs are currently self-regulated by the OAVT, but once the Veterinary Professionals Act is implemented, RVTs will be moving to professional regulation held by the new College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario. The new College of Veterinary Professionals has the authority to regulate both RVTs and veterinarians with oversight from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (formerly OMAFRA).

In principle, the difference between self-regulation and professional regulation is a significant increase in the recognition of a given profession. Professional regulation indicates the growth of a profession from one that was not considered on par with others who are professionally regulated to one seen as deserving of the same level of standing as others. The move from self-regulation to professional regulation is a very positive sign in the growth and recognition of a profession.

What is the difference between a professional association and a regulator?

The primary duty of the regulator is to serve and protect the public interest, governing the practice of RVTs and overseeing the profession. Meanwhile, the primary role of a professional association is to serve and advocate for their members with external stakeholders.

When the planned changes to modernize the regulation of veterinary medicine are implemented, the OAVT will transition from its current dual mandate to a single mandate organization. The sole purpose of the OAVT will be to act as the professional association for RVTs, where we will continue to accredit RVT educational programs in the province while expanding our focus on providing services for and advocating on behalf of our members.

What has happened since the Veterinary Professionals Act passed?

The Act became law in June 2024 which was the first step towards creating and implementing a new regulatory framework for veterinary professionals. Following passage, the first step towards implementation was the creation of a Transition Council that worked with the College of Veterinarians to develop new regulations governing our profession.

The Transition Council was established in August 2024 and consisted of the current legacy College of Veterinarians of Ontario council members, which included veterinarians and members of the public, and three RVTs appointed by the OAVT.

The first phase of consultations was open to the public for comment in early 2025. The OAVT submitted a formal response to the consultation which can be read on our website here.

The OAVT crafted our submission based on the feedback we received from the OAVT Board and RVTs through a series of information sessions and RVTs were encouraged to submit their own feedback through the consultation website.

What will happen to the “Registered Veterinary Technician” (RVT) title once the changes in the Veterinary Professionals Act are implemented?

Under the new Veterinary Professionals Act, individuals currently using the title “Registered Veterinary Technician” or “Registered Veterinary Technologist” and any individuals who become licensed with the new College of Veterinary Professionals will be allowed to use these titles, including any variations, abbreviations, or equivalents in another language.

Importantly, the legislation is also expanding title protection for individuals licensed with the College to include “Veterinary Technician” or “Veterinary Technologist,”. The change provides greater flexibility in how professionals refer to themselves, while at the same time maintaining their official status and recognition.

It is expected that the College will primarily refer to members of our profession as Veterinary Technicians for simplicity.

Only individuals licensed with the College of Veterinary Professionals will be able to use these “protected titles.”

When will RVTs become licensed with the College, and how much will it cost?

RVTs will be licensed through the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario, which will be established when the regulations and By-Laws governing veterinary professionals are in place. The OAVT expects the regulatory development process to be complete by Late Fall/Early Winter 2026, and the law in full force between May and August 2027*.

With licensure available through the College, they will also establish costs. The College’s draft by-laws have proposed an annual license fee of $300 for veterinary technicians.

*timelines are an estimate and subject to change

MORE ABOUT THESE CHANGES

Why Change is Good

The new Veterinary Professionals Act will distinguish for the first time between RVTs and the other non-credentialled staff who work in veterinary practices.

This change will formalize the one profession, two professionals model that is already widely in practice among modern veterinary teams. RVTs will finally be able to practice to the full scope of their training, enabling them to use their education and training to benefit animals, veterinary teams, and the public. The legislation will also ensure RVTs have a seat at the Council table where the profession is governed, increasing representation of RVTs’ interests and concerns.

The proposed amendments under Bill 109 build on this progress, taking steps to better protect RVT-owned businesses and expand how veterinary care can be delivered across the province.

And while change is good, we haven’t lost sight of all the hard work and amazing accomplishments of RVTs who got us to this point. We will continue to recognize and celebrate our past, while leveraging the platform that has been built to continue expanding the scope and recognition of our profession into the future.

Get Involved

Along with our partners at the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) and the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), we will continue to work alongside the government as regulations are developed.

We also hope you will use your voice to join us throughout this process to ensure that the government gets this right for RVTs.

To find out how you can be involved, email advocacy@oavt.org

ADVOCACY IS...

Acting or speaking in favour of a cause, idea, or policy
Attempting to influence outcomes such as public policy and resource allocation decisions.
Telling your story to someone in government so that they are compelled to do (or not to do) something.

For an association like the OAVT, advocacy means building relationships with members of provincial Parliament (MPPs) and other government decision-makers and educating them about priorities for RVTs in Ontario.

In this section

Video: OAVT Executive Director Elise Wickett, MBA, RVT, explains what’s next in the legislative reform process in this video presentation for both RVTs and DVMs from the Fall of 2024.

Video: OAVT Executive Director Elise Wickett, MBA, RVT, and OAVT President Kirsti Clarida, RVT, discuss the legislative reform process and answer questions in this hour-long town hall meeting from Spring 2023

Podcast Listen to this January 4, 2022 episode of Oculus Insights' Hire the Smile Podcast, hosted by Dr. Mike Pownall, DVM. In this important episode, titled "HOW REGISTERED VETERINARY TECHNICIANS CAN HELP SAVE THE VETERINARY PROFESSION," Dr. Pownall speaks with OAVT President Kirsti Clarida, RVT about the roles, value and utilization of RVTs. They also touch on the topics of RVT burnout and setting boundaries.

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Legislative Reform