House of Representatives

Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2021-2022
Appropriates additional money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the ordinary annual services of the government, in addition to the appropriations provided for by the Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2021-2022 and Appropriation (Coronavirus Response) Act (No. 1) 2021-2022.

Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2021-2022
Appropriates additional money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for certain expenditure, in addition to the appropriations provided for by the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2021-2022 and Appropriation (Coronavirus Response) Act (No. 2) 2021-2022.

Data Availability and Transparency Bill 2020
Introduced with the Data Availability and Transparency (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2020 to implement a scheme to authorise and regulate access to Australian Government data, the bill: authorises public sector data custodians to share data with accredited users in accordance with specific authorisations, purposes, principles and agreements; specifies the specific responsibilities imposed on data scheme entities; establishes and specifies the functions and powers of the National Data Commissioner as the regulator of the scheme; establishes and specifies the functions and membership of the National Data Advisory Council as an advisory body to the commissioner in relation to sharing and use of public sector data; and establishes the regulation and enforcement framework for the scheme.

Data Availability and Transparency (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2020
Introduced with the Data Availability and Transparency Bill 2020 to implement a scheme to authorise and regulate access to Australian Government data, the bill makes consequential amendments to the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979, Freedom of Information Act 1982 and Privacy Act 1988 in relation to the operation of the scheme.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Participant Service Guarantee and Other Measures) Bill 2021
Implements certain recommendations of the 2019 review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (the Tune review) by amending the: National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 to establish the Participant Service Guarantee to provide timeframes and engagement principles for how the National Disability Insurance Agency undertakes key administrative processes; enable participant’s plans to be varied without requiring a full plan review; amend the objects and principles of the Act; clarify the eligibility criteria for people with psychosocial disability; streamline certain administrative processes for participants; provide clarity in relation to decisions about plan management requests and extend the risk assessment process for self-management of funding to those using registered plan management providers; enable the National Disability Insurance Agency to make direct payments on behalf of participants; and remove redundant provisions and make technical amendments; and DisabilityCare Australia Fund Act 2013 to make a consequential amendment.

National Security Legislation Amendment (Comprehensive Review and Other Measures No. 1) Bill 2021
Amends the: Intelligence Services Act 2001 to: enable the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO) to undertake activities to produce intelligence where there is, or is likely to be, an imminent risk to the safety of an Australian person; enable ASIS, ASD and AGO to seek ministerial authorisation to produce intelligence on a class of Australian persons who are, or are likely to be, involved with a listed terrorist organisation; enable ASD and AGO to seek ministerial authorisation to undertake activities to produce intelligence on an Australian person, or class of persons, where they are assisting the Australian Defence Force in support of military operations; amend the requirement for ASIS, ASD and AGO to obtain ministerial authorisation to produce intelligence on an Australian person to circumstances where the agencies seek to use covert and intrusive methods which include methods for which the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) would require a warrant to conduct inside Australia; clarify the requirement for ASIS, ASD and AGO to seek ministerial authorisation before requesting a foreign partner agency to produce intelligence on an Australian person; remove the geographic limit requiring that ASIS activities undertaken to support ASIO in the performance of its functions be conducted outside Australia; provide that, for the purposes of carrying out its non-intelligence functions, AGO is not required to seek ministerial approval for cooperation with authorities of other countries; clarify the meaning of authorities of other countries; and make technical amendments; Office of National Intelligence Act 2018 to require the Office of National Intelligence to obtain Director-General approval when undertaking cooperation with public international organisations; Australian Passports Act 2005 and Foreign Passports (Law Enforcement and Security) Act 2005 to extend the period for passport suspension and foreign travel document surrender from 14 to 28 days; Criminal Code Act 1995 to extend immunity provided to staff of ASIS and AGO for computer-related acts done outside Australia to acts which inadvertently affected a computer or device located outside Australia; Intelligence Services Act 2001, Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act 1986 and Office of National Intelligence Act 2018 in relation to privacy rules of ASIS, ASD, AGO and Defence Intelligence Organisation; Crimes Act 1914 to allow ASD to participate in the assumed identities scheme; and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 and Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 to: approve a class of persons to exercise the authority conferred by an ASIO warrant; clarify the permissible scope of classes; and introduce certain record-keeping requirements.

Offshore Petroleum (Laminaria and Corallina Decommissioning Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2021
Introduced with the Treasury Laws Amendment (Laminaria and Corallina Decommissioning Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2021, the bill imposes a temporary levy on offshore petroleum production to recover the Commonwealth’s costs of decommissioning the Laminaria and Corallina oil fields and associated infrastructure.

Social Security Amendment (Improved Child to Adult Transfer for Carer Payment and Carer Allowance) Bill 2022
Amends the: Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to: ensure all carers retain access to carer payment, carer allowance and the care allowance health care card until the care receiver turns 16 years and 3 months of age; and ensure that carers of children with a terminal condition who submit their claim documentation for the adult stream before their carer receiver turns 18 years of age, but have not been assessed by the time their carer receiver turns 18, will remain eligible for payment until their claim is assessed.

Social Security Legislation Amendment (Streamlined Participation Requirements and Other Measures) Bill 2021
Amends the: Social Security Act 1991 and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to: create a single set of employment pathway plan requirement provisions, which will allow better use of technology, enabling job seekers more choice about how they enter into an employment pathway plan and meet the requirements of that plan; repeal certain redundant and outdated ‘activity test’ provisions; create a single set of criteria for exemptions from mutual obligation requirements; provide legislative authority for expenditure on employment programs; and repeal certain redundant provisions; Farm Household Support Act 2014 to make consequential amendments; Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to amend the targeted compliance framework to provide that sanctions need not be imposed when recipients of participation payments have a valid reason for failing to meet their requirements or immediately re-engage; Social Security Act 1991 to: allow payments or benefits from Commonwealth and state and territory employment programs to not be considered income for social security law purposes; provide that the declaration of an approved program of work for income support payment is by legislative instrument; consolidate certain provisions in relation to activities that do not give rise to employment under certain industrial relations legislation; clarify that those receiving youth allowance as a job seeker continue to be treated as such when undertaking study as part of their requirements; and make amendments contingent on the commencement of the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Act 2018; and Farm Household Support Act 2014, Social Security Act 1991 and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to align the start day provisions for certain job seekers claiming jobseeker payment or youth allowance.

Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Pension Loans Scheme Enhancements) Bill 2021
Amends the: Social Security Act 1991 and Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to: introduce a no negative equity guarantee to the pension loans scheme; and enable participants to access an advance of their entitlement to regular pension loans scheme payments; and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to make a consequential amendment.

Social Services Legislation Amendment (Workforce Incentive) Bill 2022
Amends the: Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 and Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to enable age pensioners and certain veterans’ entitlement recipients to have their payment suspended for up to two years, instead of cancelled, if their income, which includes some income from the recipient’s own employment, precludes payment; and provide for the same suspension period for partners of the age pension, disability support pension and certain veterans’ entitlements recipients, where the partner is receiving a social security pension or certain veterans’ entitlements; Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to make minor amendments to the existing suspension provisions for disability support pensioners; and Social Security Act 1991 and Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to provide that working age pensioners, disability support pensioners and certain veterans’ entitlement recipients, and their pensioner partners, can retain their pensioner concession card for up to two years after their payment ceases.

Treasury Laws Amendment (Laminaria and Corallina Decommissioning Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2021
Introduced with the Offshore Petroleum (Laminaria and Corallina Decommissioning Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2021, the bill amends the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Petroleum Resource Rent Tax Assessment Act 1987 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to specify certain administrative features relating to the Laminaria and Corallina decommissioning levy, including the requirement that the levy is payable to the Commissioner of Taxation annually.

Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Enhanced Family Support) Bill 2022

Amends the: Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 and Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to: extend eligibility to family members of working age veterans who are experiencing vulnerabilities that give rise to a need for support, whether or not the veteran is participating in a rehabilitation program or has rendered warlike service; and expand the range of supports available to family members under the family support package; Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to provide that family support payments for veterans and their families are exempt from income tax; and Social Security Act 1991 to provide that family support payments for veterans and their families are not income for the purposes of the social security income test.