Higher Education Support Legislation Amendment (Student Loan Sustainability) Bill 2018

Summary

Amends the: Higher Education Support Act 2003 to: provide a new minimum repayment income of $44 999 for the compulsory repayment of Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debts; replace the current repayment thresholds and introduce additional repayment thresholds; index HELP repayment thresholds to the consumer price index instead of average weekly earnings; and introduce, from 1 January 2019, a combined lifetime limit on the amount a student can borrow under HELP of $150 000 for students studying medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses, and $104 440 for other students; Social Security Act 1991 and Student Assistance Act 1973 to align repayment thresholds for the Student Financial Supplement Scheme (SFSS) compulsory repayments with the HELP thresholds from the 2019-20 financial year; Social Security Act 1991, Student Assistance Act 1973 and Trade Support Loans Act 2014 to provide that, from the 2019-20 financial year, SFSS debts will be repaid after HELP debts are discharged rather than concurrently; and VET Student Loans Act 2016 to make consequential amendments.

Progress

House of Representatives
Introduced and read a first time	14 Feb 2018
Second reading moved	14 Feb 2018
Second reading debate	26 Mar 2018
Second reading debate	27 Mar 2018
Second reading agreed to	27 Mar 2018
Consideration in detail debate Amendment details: 16 Government agreed to	27 Mar 2018
Third reading agreed to	27 Mar 2018

Senate
Introduced and read a first time	28 Mar 2018
Second reading moved	28 Mar 2018
Second reading debate	25 Jun 2018
Second reading debate	26 Jun 2018
Second reading debate	13 Aug 2018
Second reading agreed to	13 Aug 2018
Committee of the Whole debate Amendment details: 12 Government and 2 Australian Conservatives agreed to	13 Aug 2018
Third reading agreed to	13 Aug 2018

House of Representatives
Consideration of Senate message Details: House agreed to Senate amendments	14 Aug 2018


Finally passed both Houses	14 Aug 2018
Assent Act no: 76 Year: 2018	24 Aug 2018

Documents and transcripts

Text of bill

First reading

Third reading

As passed by both Houses

Explanatory memoranda

Correction to explanatory memorandum

Explanatory memorandum

Revised explanatory memorandum

Supplementary explanatory memorandum

Supplementary explanatory memorandum

Transcript of speeches

Proposed amendments

House of representatives

Government [sheet LC174]

Senate

Australian Conservatives [sheet 8417]
BERNARDI, Sen Cory

Australian Greens [sheet 8411]
HANSON-YOUNG, Sen Sarah

Derryn Hinch's Justice Party [sheet 8410]
HINCH, Sen Derryn

Government [sheet EK131]

Liberal Democratic Party [sheet 8412]
LEYONHJELM, Sen David

Pauline Hanson's One Nation [sheet 8409]
HANSON, Sen Pauline

Schedules of amendments

Schedule of the amendments made by the Senate

Bills digest

Bills Digest

Notes

Referred to Committee (15/02/2018): Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Committee report (16/03/2018)
Considered by scrutiny committee (27/03/2018): Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights; Report 4 of 2018
An electronic version of this Act is available on the Federal Register of Legislation (www.legislation.gov.au)

Helpful information

Text of bill

First reading: Text of the bill as introduced into the Parliament
Third reading: Prepared if the bill is amended by the house in which it was introduced. This version of the bill is then considered by the second house.
As passed by both houses: Final text of bill agreed to by both the House of Representatives and the Senate which is presented to the Governor-General for assent.

Explanatory memoranda

Explanatory memorandum: Accompanies and provides an explanation of the content of the introduced version (first reading) of the bill.
Supplementary explanatory memorandum: Accompanies and explains amendments proposed by the government to the bill.
Revised explanatory memorandum: Accompanies and explains the amended version (third reading) of the bill. It supersedes the explanatory memorandum.

Proposed amendments

Circulated by members and senators when they propose to make changes to the bill. For details about the outcome of proposed amendments please refer to either the Votes and Proceedings (House of Representatives) or the Journals (Senate).

Schedules of amendments

Schedules of amendments list amendments agreed to by the second house are communicated to the first house for consideration. Subsequent action by either house may also be included in a schedule.