A bill is a proposal for a law or a change to an existing law. A bill becomes law (an Act) when agreed to in identical form by both houses of Parliament and assented to by the Governor-General.
Bills introduced to Parliament are scrutinised to make sure they meet certain standards and to consider whether they should be referred to a committee for further investigation. This can include feedback from stakeholders and the general public, and a report recommending potential improvements to the bill.
TOTAL RESULTS: 340
-
- Date
-
15 Nov 2017
- Chamber
-
Senate
- Status
-
Act
-
Sponsor
-
SMITH, Sen Dean
- Summary
-
Amends the:
Marriage Act 1961
to: redefine marriage as ‘a union of two people’; introduce non-gendered language so that the requirements of the Act apply equally to all marriages; enable same-sex marriages that have been, or will be, solemnised under the law of a foreign country to be recognised in Australia; amend the definition of ‘authorised celebrant’ to include new categories of religious marriage celebrants and certain Australian Defence Force officers; enable ministers of religion, religious marriage celebrants, chaplains and bodies established for religious purposes to refuse to solemnise or provide facilities, goods and services for marriages on religious grounds; and make amendments contingent on the commencement of the proposed Civil Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2017
; and Sex Discrimination Act 1984
to provide that a refusal by a minister of religion, religious marriage celebrant or chaplain to solemnise marriage in prescribed circumstances does not constitute unlawful discrimination.
-
- Date
-
18 Oct 2017
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
-
Act
-
Portfolio
-
Immigration and Border Protection
- Summary
-
Introduced with the Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians Fund) Bill 2017, the bill imposes a nomination training contribution charge (to be known as the Skilling Australians Fund levy) on employers nominating workers under the temporary and permanent employer sponsored migration programs.
-
- Date
-
18 Oct 2017
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
-
Act
-
Portfolio
-
Immigration and Border Protection
- Summary
-
Introduced with the Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Bill 2017, the bill amends the
Migration Act 1958
to: provide for the collection of the nomination training contribution charge; enable nominations to be accepted from persons who have applied to be an approved sponsor or have entered into negotiations for a work agreement; enable the minister to determine the manner in which labour market testing for a nominated position must be undertaken and the kinds of evidence that must accompany a nomination; and make amendments contingent on the commencement of the proposed Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2017
.
-
- Date
-
13 Sep 2017
- Chamber
-
Senate
- Status
-
Act
-
Portfolio
-
Finance
- Summary
-
Implements measures relating to public communications in the conduct of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, including: requiring authorisations on all forms of communication of marriage law survey matter and providing the Electoral Commissioner with related information-gathering powers; imposing obligations on broadcasters to give reasonable opportunities for broadcasting opposing views; providing for offences for bribery and threats and civil penalties in relation to vilification, interference, discrimination and misleading or deceptive publications; providing for injunctive relief in relation to the statistics collection process and related activities; and enabling the Electoral Commissioner to make rules prescribing certain matters.
-
- Date
-
13 Sep 2017
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
-
Not Proceeding
-
Portfolio
-
Immigration and Border Protection
- Summary
-
Amends the
Migration Act 1958
to: enable the minister to determine, by legislative instrument, prohibited things in relation to immigration detention facilities; allow authorised officers and assistants to search Commonwealth immigration detention facilities without a warrant; strengthen the screening and seizure powers of authorised officers; and allow the use of dogs for screening detainees and persons about to enter a Commonwealth immigration detention facility, and for searching these facilities.
-
- Date
-
12 Sep 2017
- Chamber
-
Senate
- Status
-
Not Proceeding
-
Sponsor
-
DI NATALE, Sen Richard
- Summary
-
Amends the:
Customs Act 1901
to: provide that prohibited goods intended to be used as medicinal cannabis products are, for the purpose of satisfying import conditions, taken to be drugs required for medical purposes; and provide that goods permitted to be supplied for the purposes stated in the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989
for the Special Access Scheme Category-B, relating to clinical trials and authorised prescribers, will also be permitted to be supplied for the Special Access Scheme Category-A, relating to seriously ill patients with a condition from which death is reasonably likely to occur within a matter of months; and Narcotic Drugs Act 1967
to allow the secretary to grant a licence to manufacture medicinal cannabis if satisfied it is to be supplied to a seriously ill person in accordance with certain regulatory and notification requirements.
-
- Date
-
17 Aug 2017
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
-
Not Proceeding
-
Portfolio
-
Treasury
- Summary
-
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealth’s contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill amends the
Medicare Levy Act 1986
to increase the Medicare levy from 2 per cent to 2.5 per cent of a person’s taxable income.
-
- Date
-
16 Aug 2017
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
-
Act
-
Portfolio
-
Immigration and Border Protection
- Summary
-
Amends the:
Migration Act 1958
to: enable the publication of information in relation to sponsor sanctions; clarify the circumstances in which merits review is available for visas that require an approved nomination; and correct certain references to the Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Act 2014
; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1936
, Migration Act 1958
and Taxation Administration Act 1953
to enable the department to collect, record, store and use tax file numbers for prescribed purposes in relation to prescribed visas.
-
- Date
-
21 Jun 2017
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
-
Not Proceeding
-
Portfolio
-
Immigration and Border Protection
- Summary
-
Introduced with the Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Bill 2017, the bill amends the
Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997
to ensure that a migration agent who paid the non-commercial registration application charge in relation to their current period of registration, but gives immigration assistance otherwise than on a non-commercial basis, is liable to pay an adjusted charge.
-
- Date
-
21 Jun 2017
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
-
Not Proceeding
-
Portfolio
-
Immigration and Border Protection
- Summary
-
Introduced with the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment (Rates of Charge) Bill 2017, the bill amends the
Migration Act 1958
to: remove legal practitioners from regulation by the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA); provide that the time period in which a person can be considered an applicant for repeat registration as a migration agent is set out in delegated legislation; remove the 12-month time limit within which a person must apply for registration following completion of a prescribed course; remove redundant regulatory provisions; enable the MARA to refuse an application to become a registered migration agent where the applicant does not respond to requests for further information; require migration agents to notify the MARA that they have ceased acting on a non-commercial basis and commenced acting on a commercial basis; and ensure that the definitions of ‘immigration assistance’ and ‘immigration representations’ include assisting a person in relation to a request to the minister to revoke a character-related visa refusal or cancellation decision.
Browse bills
- Browse all bills by title
-
-
-
-
-
-
Bills lists
All bills before Parliament for the current calendar year and details of their progress.
Parliamentary Library analysis of bills, including the purpose, background and key issues.
Parliament delegates the power to legislate so details of law can be changed quickly by others. These delegated laws are referred to as legislative instruments and can be overruled – disallowed – by Parliament.
Legislative instruments subject to a notice of motion to disallow. The progress and eventual outcome of any such notice is also recorded.
The introduction of a tariff proposal is the formal procedure for initiating the collection of customs and excise duties.
Bills referred to committees
To inquire and report views on the bill from organisations and individuals.
Statistics on legislation
Printed bills and explanatory memoranda
Order printed versions at the Federal Register of Legislation by clicking the print icon at the document level.