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: 85
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- Date
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04 Feb 2026
- Chamber
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House of Representatives
- Status
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Passed Both Houses
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Portfolio
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Attorney-General
- Summary
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Consequential on the commencement of the
Local Court and Bail Legislation Amendment Act 2025
(NSW), the bill amends 15 Acts to ensure that jurisdiction and powers conferred on New South Wales magistrates by Commonwealth law can continue to be validly exercised by judges of the Local Court of New South Wales and that judges of the Local Court of New South Wales will not be able to exercise federal jurisdiction and powers beyond the intended scope of their office.
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- Date
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28 Jun 2018
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
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Act
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Portfolio
-
Attorney-General
- Summary
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Amends: the
Acts Interpretation Act 1901
to: provide a definition of ‘sitting day’; clarify the circumstances in which a House is taken to have adjourned (in addition to the ordinary concept of adjournment); clarify that certain provisions relating to amended or re-enacted Acts apply to a provision that is re-enacted as a differently numbered provision; and clarify that an instrument may make provision in relation to a matter by applying, adopting or incorporating a matter contained in a version of a document that is no longer current at the time of its incorporation; the Acts Interpretation Act 1901
and Legislation Act 2003
to clarify that an instrument may apply, adopt or incorporate the provisions of rules of court as in force at a particular time or as in force from time to time; the Family Law Act 1975
, Federal Circuit Court of Australia Act 1999
, Federal Court of Australia Act 1976
and Judiciary Act 1903
to ensure that rules of the federal courts are not subject to the sunsetting framework; the Legislation Act 2003
to: clarify that legislative instruments that have not been laid before Parliament are repealed (and therefore removed from the statute book) rather than simply ceasing to have effect; clarify when a 15 sitting day period commences after an instrument is laid before a House; clarify that references to ‘intergovernmental bodies or schemes’ include those involving the Commonwealth and one or more territories; clarify the interaction between the disallowance, tabling and automatic repeal provisions; broaden the scope of the Attorney-General’s discretion to issue certificates of deferral of sunsetting and declarations of alignment of sunsetting, and provide for greater parliamentary scrutiny of the exercise of these discretions; remove the time restriction on Parliament’s power to roll over the sunsetting date of a legislative instrument; provide that a review of the sunsetting framework will be conducted in 2027; clarify that a legislative or notifiable instrument can commence before the instrument is registered despite any rule or principle of common law; and clarify the limits of the First Parliamentary Counsel’s power to rectify an error on the Federal Register of Legislation and the application of the parliamentary scrutiny mechanisms to instruments that have been rectified under this power; and six Acts to make consequential and contingent amendments.
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- Date
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19 Oct 2016
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
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Act
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Portfolio
-
Attorney-General
- Summary
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Amends the:
Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979
and seven other Acts to reflect the establishment of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission of New South Wales and its inspector; Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989
, Criminal Code Act 1995
and Surveillance Devices Act 2004
to provide the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission of Victoria with investigative powers equivalent to those available to other state anti-corruption bodies; and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
to clarify the meaning of lawfully acquired property or wealth.
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- Date
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03 Mar 2016
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
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Act
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Portfolio
-
Attorney-General
- Summary
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Amends the
Acts Interpretation Act 1901
, 16 other Acts and the A.C.T. Self-Government (Consequential Provisions) Regulations to make technical and consequential amendments to ensure that jurisdiction and powers currently being exercised under Commonwealth legislation by Northern Territory Local Court Magistrates may continue to be validly exercised following commencement of the Local Court Act 2015
(NT).
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- Date
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23 May 2012
- Chamber
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House of Representatives
- Status
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Act
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Portfolio
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Attorney-General
- Summary
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Amends the:
Legislative Instruments Act 2003
to: repeal spent and redundant instruments (including automatic repeal of certain instruments and bulk repeal of instruments by regulation); provide certainty about what instruments sunset and when they sunset, and provide staged sunsetting dates for instruments that were registered in bulk when the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments commenced in 2005; enable the Attorney-General to align sunsetting dates of related legislative instruments to enable thematic reviews to be conducted; and clarify the requirements for explanatory statements; and Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011
to make a consequential amendment.
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- Date
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06 Jul 2011
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
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Act
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Portfolio
-
Attorney-General
- Summary
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Amends the
Legislative Instruments Act 2003
to provide that legislative instruments remain in force for 10 years following registration (rather than commencement) on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.
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- Date
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19 Mar 2009
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
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Act
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Portfolio
-
Attorney-General
- Summary
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Amends the:
Service and Execution of Process Act 1992
to: establish the Cross Border Justice Scheme to enable judicial officers, police and other officials to deal with offenders from any of the participating jurisdictions (Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory); and clarify that prisoners may give evidence by audio or video link when subpoenaed to give evidence in interstate court or tribunal proceedings; and Evidence and Procedure (New Zealand) Act 1994
to expand the range of proceedings covered by the scheme established between Australia and New Zealand for the service of subpoenas between the two jurisdictions.
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- Date
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28 May 2008
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
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Act
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Portfolio
-
Attorney-General
- Summary
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Amends the
Law Officers Act 1964
and Long Service Leave (Commonwealth Employees) Act 1976
to enable Solicitors-General to access long service leave entitlements.
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- Date
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07 Sep 2006
- Chamber
-
House of Representatives
- Status
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Act
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Portfolio
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Attorney-General
- Summary
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Gives effect to Australia’s obligations under the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection by amending the:
Criminal Code Act 1995
to insert new offences in relation to trafficking in, manufacturing, possessing, importing and exporting unmarked plastic explosives; Customs Act 1901
to provide Customs officers with appropriate powers to regulate, investigate, search and seize unmarked plastic explosives; and six other Acts to make consequential amendments.
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- Date
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29 Mar 2006
- Chamber
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House of Representatives
- Status
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Act
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Portfolio
-
Attorney-General
- Summary
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Amends the:
Australian Federal Police Act 1979
to: provide for a new complaints and professional standards regime within the Australian Federal Police (AFP) which will categorise all matters raised in relation to AFP professional standards according to their nature and seriousness; provide for alcohol screening tests of on duty officers; and to make amendments relating to suspension or resignation from, and termination of, employment; and Ombudsman Act 1976
to align the Ombudsman’s administrative review role over the AFP more closely with the role it has in relation to other Australian Government agencies, although the Ombudsman will retain the capacity to intervene in serious cases and will have a review role in relation to the new complaints and professional standards regime. Also repeals the Complaints (Australian Federal Police) Act 1981
and makes consequential amendments to the Australian Federal Police Act 1979
and 7 other Acts.
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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.