TORONTO, Dec. 9, 2025 /CNW/ - The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) issued an open letter to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Tuesday over her province's legislation known as Bill 13. RNAO is deeply alarmed by the proposed Regulated Professions Neutrality Act (Bill 13). While framed as a measure to protect freedom of expression, the bill would have far-reaching and harmful consequences for patient safety, professional accountability, and the protection of vulnerable communities.

Bill 13 prevents regulators from requiring education that is not narrowly defined as technical competence or ethics. In practice, this would prohibit mandatory training in anti-racism, cultural safety, unconscious bias, 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion, disability awareness, and other essential components of safe and ethical care. These forms of education are integral to addressing preventable harm. They are also standard expectations of contemporary nursing practice, anchored in evidence, human rights law, and commitments to equity and reconciliation.

From a health-care perspective, the implications are stark. When discriminatory behaviour, culturally unsafe care or bias-driven interactions occur, regulators must be able to intervene with the full set of corrective tools. Under Bill 13, even where clear evidence exists that a patient, client, learner or worker has been harmed, a regulator may be unable to mandate the very training required to prevent such harm from occurring again. Concerns of this nature have been raised by members of our association, including leading researchers in Black and racialized peoples' health.

These are not abstract risks. Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities continue to experience disproportionate harm in health-care settings. Persons with disabilities, linguistic minorities, women, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals and gender-diverse people also face systemic barriers that impede safe and equitable access to care. Removing the tools that regulators rely on to address these barriers undermines public protection and erodes trust in regulated professions. Robust training in cultural safety and anti-racism is not ideological – it is required for competent, ethical and accountable professional practice.

Bill 13 also carries national implications. Legislation that treats equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility as optional or political signals a retreat from Canada's commitments to Truth and Reconciliation, human rights, and evidence-informed regulation. Similar laws enacted in parts of the United States have spread quickly and weakened the foundations of equitable public service. Once introduced in one province, such measures risk migrating to other provinces such as Ontario. RNAO strongly urges all Canadian policymakers to resist importing divisive culture-war legislation that undermines patient safety and professional integrity.

RNAO respectfully calls on the government of Alberta to halt the progression of Bill 13. We urge reconsideration of this legislation in full consultation with affected communities, regulatory bodies and professional associations, including nursing organizations across the country.

RNAO's CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun and President NP Lhamo Dolkar say "As nurses, we are unwavering in our commitment to advancing equity, supporting truth and reconciliation, and ensuring safe and ethical care for all in every community. Bill 13 moves Canada in the opposite direction."

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public we serve. This year marks our 100^th anniversary. For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario