Bill 4: Public Safety and Emergency Services Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2)
Bill Sponsor: Ellis
Bill Type: Government Bills
Amendments: No
Money Bill: No
Documents: Bill 4
First Reading
October 30, 2025 passed 121
Second Reading
November 4, 2025 adjourned 193-201
November 5, 2025 adjourned 216-24
November 17, 2025 adjourned 289
November 18, 2025 passed on division 323-34
Committee of the Whole
November 20, 2025 passed 408-13
Third Reading
November 24, 2025 passed on division 447-55
Royal Assent
November 26, 2025 outside of House sitting
Comes into Force
November 26, 2025, with exceptions SA 2025 c18 4/22/2026 5:18 PM
WHO GAINS POWER
- The Minister gains new authority to prepare and disclose threat assessments — profiling individuals' risk of perpetrating violence — and to share those assessments with police, corrections, other governments and prescribed organizations
- The Minister can compel any person, organization or agency to hand over personal information, health information and records for threat assessment purposes — including accessing databases on an ongoing basis
- If someone refuses to comply, the Minister can enter premises, seize records, access electronic systems and direct people to assist
- The immunity shield for Clare's Law is significantly expanded — now covering threat assessment recipients, information providers and a much broader list of government actors, with "good faith" requirement removed
- Independent agency police services are fully integrated into collective bargaining, labour relations and workers' compensation frameworks — giving government a new structured relationship with non-municipal police forces
- Permanent residents are now eligible to be appointed as independent agency police officers (previously Canadian citizenship required)
WHO LOSES POWER
- Individuals subject to a threat assessment have no explicit right to know one is being prepared or to contest it
- Organizations and agencies that hold personal or health information can be compelled to provide it to the Minister — with no opt-out
- The "good faith" requirement previously required for immunity under Clare's Law is removed — actors are shielded regardless of how they act
- Forestry facilities are removed from the definition of "correctional institution" — narrowing the corrections system's scope
WHO GAINS MONEY
- Independent agency police officers gain access to collective bargaining rights and workers' compensation coverage previously unavailable to them
- Police officers of independent agency services gain the same arbitration and grievance remedies as municipal police
WHO LOSES MONEY
- Independent agency police services take on new employer obligations — collective bargaining, arbitration awards and labour board compliance costs
- Organizations compelled to provide records or system access bear the administrative cost of compliance
THE CATCH
- Threat assessments can be shared before they are completed if the Minister determines there is imminent risk — with no requirement for judicial oversight or notice to the subject
- The Minister's powers to compel information are defined largely by regulation — the full scope of who can be targeted and what can be seized is set by Cabinet, not the Legislature
- The immunity provisions are sweeping — virtually anyone involved in the threat assessment process is shielded from legal action, with no good faith requirement
- Multiple sections come into force on Proclamation or specified dates — not all changes take effect at once