BILL NO. 135

(as introduced)

1st Session, 65th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
4 Charles III, 2025

 

Private Member's Public Bill

 

Safer Mental Healthcare Act

 

Lisa Lachance
Halifax Citadel–Sable Island

First Reading: September 24, 2025

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

 

An Act Respecting
the Delivery of Safer Mental Healthcare
to Nova Scotians

Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 This Act may be cited as the Safer Mental Healthcare Act.

2 The purpose of this Act is to ensure that the delivery of mental healthcare is carried out in a manner that maximizes patient safety.

3 In this Act,

"addictions and mental health services" means insured services under the Health Services and Insurance Act that are concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of addictions and mental health issues;

"Minister" means the Minister of Addictions and Mental Health;

"provider" means a person who provides insured professional services under the Health Services and Insurance Act.

4 This Act is binding on the Crown in right of the Province

5 (1) The Minister shall improve mental healthcare for Nova Scotians by

(a) reviewing evidence-based methods of delivering universal access to addictions and mental health services, focusing on equity and patient safety; and

(b) subject to Section 7, establishing, by September 2026, a strategic plan, based on the review, to deliver equitable access to addictions and mental health services.

(2) The plan must include

(a) quality standards for mental healthcare providers; and

(b) a plan for collecting and monitoring data to track compliance with the quality standards.

6 To allow Nova Scotians to see if and where progress is being made on the quality standards, the Minister shall

(a) table an annual audit on compliance with quality standards starting the year after the strategic plan is established; and

(b) create pathways for patients to report non-compliance and for the Minister to investigate such reports, with the total number of complaints being detailed in the annual audit outlined in clause (a).

7 The money required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of money appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.

8 This Act has effect on and after January 1, 2026.

 

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