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: 99

  • Date
    01 Sep 2021 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Before Senate 
    Sponsor
    FARUQI, Sen Mehreen 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958
    and
    Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956
    to prohibit the export and import of greyhounds for racing, breeding and commercial purposes. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    25 Mar 2026 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Before House of Representatives 
    Portfolio
    Home Affairs 
    Summary
    Amends the:
    Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Act 1905
    to create a strict liability offence for the importation of goods that bear false trade marks; and
    Customs Regulation 2015
    to prescribe this offence in the Customs Infringement Notice Scheme, enabling Australian Border Force officers to issue infringement notices as an alternative to prosecution. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    07 Dec 2020 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Before Senate 
    Sponsor
    STEELE-JOHN, Sen Jordon 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Defence Act 1903
    to require parliamentary approval of overseas service by members of the Australian Defence Force. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    27 Nov 2025 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Before Senate 
    Sponsor
    LAMBIE, Sen Jacqui 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Defence Act 1903
    to establish the Sexual Assault Prevention, Intervention and Response Commission as a statutory authority. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    01 Apr 2026 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Before House of Representatives 
    Portfolio
    Defence 
    Summary
    Amends the:
    Defence Force Discipline Act 1982
    to: implement certain recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide in relation to suspension from duty while under investigation, sentencing procedures, disclosure of service offences, removing stigmatising language, and distinguishing between violent and non-violent commission of certain service offences; update superior tribunal procedures; establish the summary contravention scheme; and make a range of other amendments in relation to policing equipment, updates to prescribed quantities for drug offences, disclosure of investigative material, changes to service offences, changes to imprisonment terms for restricted courts martial and Defence Force magistrates, amendments to petition and for review processes, delegation of powers, functions of the Director of Military Prosecutions, harmonising termination grounds for judicial officers, application of territory rules of evidence, powers of investigating officers, and enabling removal orders for intimate images;
    Defence Force Discipline Act 1982
    and
    Defence Force Discipline Appeals Act 1955
    to: update powers for service tribunals when dealing with accused persons suffering from a mental impairment; and establish the Defence Mental Health Tribunal as a specialised decision-making body;
    Defence Act 1903
    and
    Defence Force Discipline Act 1982
    to update the title of ‘Director of Defence Counsel Services’ to ‘Director of Defence Legal Assistance’;
    Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977
    to extinguish convictions for historical homosexual service offences. Also makes consequential amendments to 5 Acts and a contingent amendment to the
    Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner Act 2026

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    26 Jun 2024 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Before Senate 
    Sponsor
    ANTIC, Sen Alex
    BABET, Sen Ralph
    CANAVAN, Sen Matthew
    HANSON, Sen Pauline
    RENNICK, Sen Gerard
    ROBERTS, Sen Malcolm 
    Summary
    Repeals the
    Digital ID Act 2024
    and
    Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2024
    . Also makes consequential amendments to 6 Acts. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    30 Jul 2025 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Before Senate 
    Sponsor
    POCOCK, Sen David 
    Summary
    Amends the:
    Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
    and
    Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984
    to prohibit the authorisation of certain electoral and referendum matter that is inaccurate and misleading to a material extent, including material that has been modified using digital technology, such as ‘deepfakes’; and require electoral and referendum matter that has been created or modified using digital technology (including AI) to carry a statement to that effect;
    Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
    to establish an Electoral Communications Panel; and
    Broadcasting Services Act 1992
    and
    Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991
    to remove the ‘media blackout’ period that prohibits electoral or referendum advertising in the last 3 days of voting in an election or referendum. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    20 Nov 2024 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Before Senate 
    Sponsor
    POCOCK, Sen David 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
    to: increase the number of senators from the Australia Capital Territory and the Northern Territory to half the number of senators for a state; and provide for 3 senators from each of the territories to be elected at each federal election giving territory senators a 6 year term. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    04 Sep 2023 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Before Senate 
    Sponsor
    WATERS, Sen Larissa 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
    to prohibit political donations being made by corporations or close associates of the corporation in certain circumstances. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    08 Feb 2023 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Before Senate 
    Sponsor
    STEELE-JOHN, Sen Jordon 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
    and
    Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984
    to: lower the minimum voting age in Australian federal elections and referenda from 18 to 16 years; provide for 16 and 17 year olds to be included in the certified list of voters (but not to be given a penalty notice if they do not vote); and provide that an eligible voter, who is not yet on the electoral roll or enrolled at their correct address, is able to cast a provisional vote on election day. 

    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.