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.

Keyword(s)
Status
Current Bills
Previous Bills
Type

TOTAL RESULTS: 126

  • Date
    26 Mar 2025 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Not Proceeding 
    Sponsor
    COX, Sen Dorinda 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
    to establish a class of controlled action relating to emissions which damage the surfaces of national and world heritage monuments. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    11 Feb 2025 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Before Senate 
    Sponsor
    POCOCK, Sen David
    LAMBIE, Sen Jacqui 
    Summary
    The bill: establishes the Whistleblower Protection Authority to receive and facilitate the investigation of whistleblower disclosures, provide advice, assistance, guidance and support to persons and agencies relating to the making of whistleblower disclosures and investigate any mistreatment of whistleblowers and undertake enforcement activities; establishes the Whistleblower Protection Advisory Council to provide advice to the Whistleblower Protection Commissioner; and establishes the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Whistleblower Protection Authority to consider proposed recommendations for the appointment of the commissioner and deputy commissioners and to monitor and review the performance of the commissioner. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    10 Feb 2025 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Not Proceeding 
    Sponsor
    SCAMPS, Sophie, MP 
    Summary
    The bill: requires public bodies to act in pursuit of the economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing of current and future generations of Australians; and establishes an independent statutory Commissioner for Future Generations. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    10 Feb 2025 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Not Proceeding 
    Sponsor
    WILKIE, Andrew, MP 
    Summary
    The bill: establishes the Whistleblower Protection Authority to receive and facilitate the investigation of whistleblower disclosures, provide advice, assistance, guidance and support to persons and agencies relating to the making of whistleblower disclosures and investigate any mistreatment of whistleblowers and undertake enforcement activities; establishes the Whistleblower Protection Advisory Council to provide advice to the Whistleblower Protection Commissioner; and establishes the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Whistleblower Protection Authority to consider proposed recommendations for the appointment of the commissioner and deputy commissioners and to monitor and review the performance of the commissioner. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    20 Nov 2024 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Women 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012
    to require certain employers with 500 or more employees to select and meet, or improve against, certain gender equality targets over a 3 year period. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    12 Sep 2024 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Education 
    Summary
    Establishes the Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers Special Account to make grants of financial assistance to support remuneration increases for workers in the early childhood education and care sector. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    06 Sep 2023 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Environment and Water 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Water Act 2007
    and
    Basin Plan 2012
    to: expand the type of projects that can deliver the Basin Plan target of 450 gigalitres (GL) of additional environmental water; repeal the statutory 1,500 GL cap on Commonwealth water purchases; enable funds from the Water for the Environment Special Account to be used to enhance environmental outcomes in the Basin; provide additional time for Basin States to deliver Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) Adjustment Mechanism projects; enable the Inspector-General of Water Compliance to determine SDL compliance and require action plans; provide for a roadmap for the delivery of constraints relaxation projects across the Southern Basin; delay the review of the Act from 2024 until 2027; and implement recommendations of the
    Water market reform: final roadmap report
    in relation to water markets and water management in the Basin. Also amends the
    Water Act 2007
    to make technical amendments in relation to First Ministers’ Council; and makes consequential amendments to the
    Water Act 2007
    and
    Competition and Consumer Act 2010

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    08 Feb 2023 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Women 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012
    to: require the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) to publish gender pay gap information of relevant employers for each reporting period; rename the current 'minimum standards' as 'gender equality standards'; require relevant employers to provide executive summary and industry benchmark reports to all members of their governing body; include 'sexual harassment', 'harassment on the ground of sex' or 'discrimination' as gender equality indicators; change the title of the 'Director' of the WGEA to 'Chief Executive Officer'; and make a technical amendment to the definition of 'reporting period'. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    01 Dec 2022 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Employment and Workplace Relations 
    Summary
    Amends the:
    Work Health and Safety Act 2011
    to: include negligence as a fault element in relation to a category one offence; clarify that a work group is negotiated with workers who are proposed to form the work group; amend the obligation to train health and safety representatives to provide that representatives are entitled to choose a course of training; amend the process for the issuing and services of notices under the Act; enable an inspector, within 30 days of entering a workplace, to issue certain written notices relating to the reason for entry; specify that Comcare is able to share information with certain other persons for the purpose of performing functions under relevant laws; extend from 12 to 18 months the deadline for a person to make a request to the regulator to bring a prosecution for a category one or two offence; prohibit a person from entering into a contract of insurance to provide coverage over liability for monetary penalties imposed under the Act, and create a related offence; and
    Safe Work Australia Act 2008
    to specify that Safe Work Australia may be provided with information necessary to its data and evidence functions. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    26 May 2021 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Resources, Water and Northern Australia 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Water Act 2007
    to: establish the role of an independent Inspector-General of Water Compliance to monitor, and provide independent oversight of, water compliance; provide for the Inspector-General's powers and functions; introduce new offence and civil penalty provisions for unlawful conduct relating to the taking of water and new civil penalties for conduct relating to trading of water rights; and make minor amendments. Also makes consequential amendments to the
    Basin Plan 2012

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

Bills lists

All bills before Parliament for the current calendar year and details of their progress.

Legislative Analysis

Parliamentary Library analysis of bills, including the purpose, background and key issues.

Legislative Instruments

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.

Disallowance Alerts

Legislative instruments subject to a notice of motion to disallow. The progress and eventual outcome of any such notice is also recorded.

Tariff proposals

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.