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.

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Current Bills
Previous Bills
Type

TOTAL RESULTS: 541

  • Date
    18 Jun 2013 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 
    Summary
    Amends the:
    Primary Industries (Excise) Levies Act 1999
    to: impose the levy on sugar cane that is processed or sold for processing; set the levy rate to a maximum of 70 cents per tonne; and allow for the rate to be amended by regulation; and Primary Industries (Excise) Levies Regulations 1999 to make consequential amendments. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    05 Jun 2013 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 
    Summary
    Introduced with the Sugar Research and Development Services Bill 2013, the bill amends the:
    Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 1991
    and Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Regulations 1991 to make consequential amendments; and Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Regulations 1991 to: provide for an instalment system for payment of the levy to commence on 1 March 2014; and a penalty for late payment. Also: repeals the Sugar Research and Development Corporation Regulations 1990 to abolish the Sugar Research and Development Corporation on 1 October 2013; and contains transitional provisions relating to the transition to a new industry services body. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    05 Jun 2013 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 
    Summary
    Introduced with the Sugar Research and Development Services (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2013, the bill enables the minister to: enter into a funding contract with an eligible company to enable it to receive and invest levies collected by the Commonwealth for research and development and to receive the Commonwealth’s matching funding for eligible research and development, up to a determined funding cap; and declare the company to be the industry services body or that it is no longer the industry services body. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    18 Mar 2021 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Agriculture, Water and the Environment 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act 2001
    to: implement certain recommendations of the
    Independent Review of the Sydney Harbour Federal Trust
    by enabling the Harbour Trust to operate as an ongoing entity, amending processes relating to the appointment of members, increasing the threshold for ministerial approval of contracts to $5 million and providing for indexation of the threshold amount, and amending the processes for entering into long-term leases or licences; extend the existing regulation-making powers; establish compliance and enforcement powers; and make amendments contingent on the commencement of the
    Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    17 Nov 2010 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Arts 
    Summary
    The bill: amends the
    Freedom of Information Act 1982
    ,
    National Film and Sound Archive Act 2008
    and
    Screen Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2008
    to enable the name change of the National Film and Sound Archive to the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSAA); and transfers part of Screen Australia’s film library and associated assets and liabilities to the NFSAA; and provides for the transfer of certain Screen Australia staff to the NFSAA. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    30 Jul 2025 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends the:
    Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act 1986
    and
    Intelligence Services Act 2001
    to: expand the jurisdictions of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) to include the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Home Affairs; provide that the PJCIS may review proposed counter-terrorism and national security legislation, and all such expiring legislation; enable the PJCIS to request the IGIS to conduct an inquiry into certain operational activities of the agencies within the IGIS’s jurisdiction; clarify the legislation which enables the PJCIS to request a briefing from the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM); clarify the IGIS’s complaints jurisdiction; and make technical amendments;
    Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act 1986
    and
    Office of National Intelligence Act 2018
    to require the IGIS and the Office of National Intelligence to provide annual briefings to the PJCIS;
    Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement Act 2010
    to require the IGIS to provide annual briefings to the committee;
    Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975
    to amend the review and access of ACIC criminal intelligence assessment records;
    Criminal Code Act 1995
    to include an exemption from civil and criminal liability for defence officials and others for certain computer-related conduct; and
    Independent National Security Legislation Monitor Act 2010
    to: ensure that the INSLM is able to review counter-terrorism or national security legislation; and make minor amendments. Also makes consequential amendments to 15 Acts. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    21 Nov 2024 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Clarifies that information or a record obtained under specified warrants issued to the Australian Federal Police in connection with Operation Ironside was not intercepted while passing over a telecommunications system and was obtained lawfully under the relevant warrants. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    07 Sep 2023 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Statutory Declarations Act 1959
    to: establish a framework for the execution of Commonwealth statutory declarations which includes traditional paper-based, electronic and digitally verified execution; provide for a review of the operation of the Act; and make minor and technical amendments. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    01 Jun 2023 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends: 33 Acts to replace provisions that require forms to be prescribed by regulations and reflect modern drafting practices, such as providing for the forms to be approved by a specified person or body, by notifiable instrument, or enabling regulations to directly mandate the requirements themselves rather than requiring particular forms; the
    Family Law Act 1975
    ,
    Social Security Act 1991
    and
    Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
    to update language relating to persons with disability; 11 Acts to update references to Northern Territory legislation; 33 Acts to correct technical errors; and 12 Acts to remove spent and obsolete provisions. Also repeals 4 Acts. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    10 Feb 2022 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Not Proceeding 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Establishes a framework relating to potentially defamatory content posted on social media by: deeming a person who administers or maintains a social media page not to be a publisher of third-party material; deeming a social media service provider to be the publisher of material that is published on their service if it is posted in Australia; creating a conditional defence for social media service providers in defamation proceedings relating to material on their service that is posted in Australia if the provider meets certain conditions; empowering courts to issue end-user information disclosure orders to require providers of social media services to give the applicant relevant contact details and country location data in certain circumstances; requiring social media companies to have a nominated entity incorporated in Australia able to discharge certain key obligations; and enabling the Attorney-General to intervene in defamation proceedings on behalf of the Commonwealth and authorise a grant of legal assistance. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    20 Oct 2021 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Not Proceeding 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends 41 Acts to replace provisions that require forms to be prescribed by regulations and reflect modern drafting practices, such as providing for the forms to be approved by a specified person or body, by notifiable instrument, or enabling regulations to directly mandate the requirements themselves rather than requiring particular forms. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    24 Jun 2021 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Implements certain recommendations of the Australian Human Rights Commission report,
    Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces
    by amending the:
    Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
    to: amend the definition of 'unlawful discrimination'; and extend the period of time between an alleged incident and the lodging of a complaint in relation to the President's discretion to terminate a complaint;
    Fair Work Act 2009
    to: provide that a worker who is sexually harassed at work may apply for a Fair Work Commission (FWC) order to stop the sexual harassment; provide that the FWC can make an order to stop sexual harassment following a single instance of sexual harassment; provide that sexual harassment in connection with an employee’s employment can be a valid reason for dismissal; and extend the minimum entitlement for compassionate leave in relation to miscarriage; and
    Sex Discrimination Act 1984
    to: prohibit discrimination involving harassment on the ground of sex; extend the application of the Act to members of parliament, members of the ACT and Northern Territory legislative assemblies and their staff, judges, staff and consultants employed under the
    Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984
    , state employees, including independent contractors; and the public authority of a state; and include definitions of 'worker' and 'persons conducting a business or undertaking' to extend the protection from sexual harassment to all paid and unpaid workers, including volunteers, interns and the self-employed. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    12 Feb 2020 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends 10 Acts to: replace references to specific provisions of regulations with more general means of identifying the provisions, so that the correct links between the contents of regulations and Acts will remain even if the regulations are remade, renamed or renumbered; and make consequential amendments. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    28 Mar 2018 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends: five Acts to correct technical errors; the
    Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006
    ,
    Australian Research Council Act 2001
    ,
    National Land Transport Act 2014
    and
    National Resources Management (Financial Assistance) Act 1992
    to update references to ‘the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia’ with references to ‘Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand’; the
    Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991
    to make amendments consequential on the
    Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Act 2015
    ; 22 Acts to remove obsolete references to the Crown in right of Norfolk Island; and the
    Social Security Legislation Amendment (One-off Payments for Carers) Act 2005
    and
    Telstra Corporation Act 1991
    to repeal spent provisions. Also repeals 40 obsolete Acts. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    07 Dec 2017 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Introduced with the Security of Critical Infrastructure Bill 2017 to provide for the management of the national security risks of espionage, sabotage and coercion arising from foreign involvement in Australia’s critical infrastructure, the bill makes consequential amendments to the
    Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979
    and
    Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    07 Dec 2017 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Introduced with the Security of Critical Infrastructure (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017, the bill provides for the management of the national security risks of espionage, sabotage and coercion arising from foreign involvement in Australia’s critical infrastructure by: establishing a Register of Critical Infrastructure Assets; providing the minister with a power to direct a reporting entity or operator of a critical infrastructure asset to do, or refrain from doing, an act or thing within a specified period of time; empowering the secretary to request certain information from reporting entities and operators of critical infrastructure assets; and providing that the minister can privately declare an asset to be a critical infrastructure asset in certain circumstances. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    25 May 2017 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends: 18 Acts to modernise language and correct technical errors; six Acts to make amendments consequential on the
    Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Act 2015
    ; and five Acts to repeal spent and obsolete provisions. Also repeals the
    Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment (Township Leasing) Act 2007
    ,
    Governor-General Amendment Act 2003
    ,
    Stevedoring Industry Act 1961
    and
    Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions) Act 1968

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    01 Sep 2016 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends: 19 Acts to correct technical errors; the
    Public Lending Right Act 1985
    to insert generic references; and the
    International Labour Organisation (Compliance with Conventions) Act 1992
    and
    National Health Act 1953
    to remove obsolete provisions. Also repeals the
    Forestry Marketing and Research and Development Services (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2007

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    01 Sep 2016 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends: 100 Acts to replace references to penalties expressed as a number of dollars with penalties expressed as a number of penalty units; 27 Acts to replace references to ‘maximum penalty’ with references to ‘penalty’; 32 Acts to provide that provisions relating to the evidentiary status of a certificate (or other instrument or register) clearly provide that it is prima facie evidence of the matters stated in it; and the
    Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980
    ,
    Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991
    ,
    Crimes (Currency) Act 1981
    and
    Maritime Powers Act 2013
    to update references to aircraft registered in accordance with the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    17 Mar 2016 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Not Proceeding 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends: 18 Acts to correct technical errors; the
    Public Lending Right Act 1985
    to insert generic references; and the
    International Labour Organisation (Compliance with Conventions) Act 1992
    and
    National Health Act 1953
    to remove obsolete provisions. Also repeals the
    Forestry Marketing and Research and Development Services (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2007

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    17 Mar 2016 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Not Proceeding 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends: 100 Acts to replace references to penalties expressed as a number of dollars with penalties expressed as a number of penalty units; 27 Acts to replace references to ‘maximum penalty’ with references to ‘penalty’; 32 Acts to provide that provisions relating to the evidentiary status of a certificate (or other instrument or register) clearly provide that it is prima facie evidence of the matters stated in it; and the
    Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980
    ,
    Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991
    ,
    Crimes (Currency) Act 1981
    and
    Maritime Powers Act 2013
    to update references to aircraft registered in accordance with the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    12 Nov 2015 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends: 19 Acts to correct technical errors; the
    Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988
    to clarify on the face of an Act that the Crown in right of the Australian Capital Territory and of the Northern Territory is bound; and modernise the provision about whether the Crown is liable to be prosecuted for an offence; 152 Acts to replace references to ‘guilty of an offence’ with references to ‘commits an offence’ or similar phrases; eight Acts to replace references to ‘reference base’ with references to ‘index reference period’; and five Acts to remove spent and obsolete provisions. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    18 Mar 2015 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends: 19 Acts and the Civil Aviation Legislation Amendment (Flight Crew Licensing) Regulation 2014 to amend errors, remove redundant provisions, and renumber text; 37 Acts to: clarify on the face of Acts that the Crown in right of the Australian Capital Territory and of the Northern Territory is bound; and modernise the provisions about whether the Crown is liable to be prosecuted for an offence; 31 Acts to amend provisions which rely on the Consumer Price Index to refer to the ‘index reference period’ rather than the ‘reference base’; the
    Parliamentary Presiding Officers Act 1965
    and
    Public Works Committee Act 1969
    to remove gender-specific language; and the
    Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977
    and
    Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990
    to: remove spent provisions; and make amendments consequential on their removal. Also repeals six Acts. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    22 Oct 2014 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends: 35 Acts to correct technical errors; 49 Acts to replace references to ‘servants’ with references to ‘employees’; the
    Acts Interpretation Act 1901
    and
    Defence Act 1903
    to remove gender-specific language; the
    Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
    to make technical amendments; the
    Broadcasting Services Act 1992
    ,
    Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990
    ,
    Radiocommunications Act 1992
    and
    Telecommunications Act 1997
    to remove spent and obsolete provisions; and the
    Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation Limited Sale Act 1993
    to make an amendment consequential on a repeal. Also repeals the
    Conciliation and Arbitration (Electricity Industry) Act 1985
    ,
    Immigration (Education) Charge Act 1992
    and
    Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation Act 1970

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    19 Mar 2014 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends: 74 Acts to correct technical errors and misdescribed or redundant amendments and modernise language; three Acts to provide that Commonwealth ministers are mentioned by reference to the administration of identified legislation; 54 Acts to make amendments consequential on amendments to the
    Acts Interpretation Act 1901
    ; and eight Acts to repeal spent and obsolete provisions. Also repeals 17 Acts. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

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