Assented Bills of previous Parliaments

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TOTAL RESULTS: 3785

  • Date
    03 Apr 2019 
    Chamber
    Senate 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Criminal Code Act 1995
    to: introduce new offences that will apply to providers of internet, hosting or content services who fail to refer details of abhorrent violent material that records or streams conduct that has occurred, or is occurring, in Australia to the Australian Federal Police within a reasonable time after becoming aware of the existence of such material, or who fail to remove from, or cease hosting, on their services abhorrent violent material that is capable of being accessed within Australia; and enable the eSafety Commissioner to issue a written notice to a provider of a hosting or content service notifying them that abhorrent violent material can be accessed by, or is hosted on, their service. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    20 Feb 2019 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018
    to: amend the definition of 'communication activity' to capture a person that produces information or material on behalf of a foreign principal for the purpose of the information or material being distributed to the public; provide that a person's belief about the intention of a foreign principal may be taken into account when determining the purpose of an activity; provide that the reporting obligations under the foreign influence transparency scheme apply to persons that are liable to register, but who have not yet actually registered; extend the obligation to make disclosures in registrable communications activity to any person who undertakes a registrable communication activity on behalf of a foreign principal (not just to those who are already registered); and make technical amendments to certain offence provisions. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    28 Nov 2018 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018
    (FITS Act) to require the secretary to continue to publish certain information about registered persons after they cease to be registered, including information that was published about that person before their registration ceased; and
    National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Act 2018
    to: provide that people who are liable to register under the FITS Act will be required to register within three months of the FITS Act commencing; and provide that, if election writs for either House of Parliament are issued before the end of that three month period, such persons will have to register no later than 14 days after the issuing of the writs. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    20 Sep 2018 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Criminal Code Act 1995
    to: increase the maximum penalties available for the offences of contaminating goods, threatening to contaminate goods and making false statements about the contamination of good from 10 to 15 years’ imprisonment; introduce new offences with a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment that apply where a person contaminates goods, threatens to contaminate goods or makes false statements about the contamination of goods and is reckless as to whether their actions cause public alarm or anxiety, economic loss or harm to public health; and expand the meaning of public infrastructure to include foods and services and utilities related to food for the purpose of sabotage offences. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    28 Jun 2018 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Implements certain recommendations of the Review of Defence Support to National Counter-Terrorism Arrangements by amending the
    Defence Act 1903
    to: permit states and territories to request that the Commonwealth call out the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in a wider range of circumstances; enable call out orders to authorise the ADF to operate in multiple jurisdictions, as well as the offshore area; authorise the ADF to respond to incidents that cross a border into a jurisdiction that has not been specified in an order in certain circumstances; allow the ADF to be pre-authorised to respond to land and maritime threats, in addition to aviation threats; increase the requirements for the ADF to consult with state and territory police where it is operating in their jurisdictions; simplify, expand and clarify the power of the ADF to search and seize, and to control movement during an incident; remove the distinction between general security areas and designated areas; for the purposes of expedited call out, clarify that acting ministers are to be treated as substantive ministers and add the Minister for Home Affairs as an alternative authorising minister; and make technical amendments. Also makes a consequential amendment to the
    Defence Reserve Service (Protection) Act 2001

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    28 Jun 2018 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Family Law Act 1975
    to: prohibit personal cross-examination where there is an allegation of family violence between the parties to the proceedings and certain circumstances are satisfied; provide that if personal cross-examination is prohibited, cross-examination must be conducted by a legal representative; and provide that, if there is an allegation of family violence and personal cross-examination is not prohibited, the court must ensure that there are appropriate protections for the party who is the alleged victim of the family violence. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    28 Jun 2018 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    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. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum

  • Date
    24 May 2018 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends the:
    Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977
    to exclude from review decisions of senior Australian Federal Police (AFP) members in relation to consent for the purposes of applications to vary interim control orders;
    Criminal Code Act 1995
    to: extend the operation of the control order regime, the preventative detention order (PDO) regime and the declared areas offences for a further three years; allow an issuing court to vary an interim control order; clarify the evidential weight that the issuing court must give to an original request for an interim control order during the confirmation proceedings; extend the minimum time period between an interim and a confirmation hearing for a control order; provide that the issuing court cannot make costs orders against a controlee except in limited circumstances; require the AFP to notify the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) after the making of initial or continued preventative orders or a prohibited contact order; create an exception to the declared areas offence for individuals performing an official duty for the International Committee of the Red Cross; enable the Minister for Foreign Affairs to revoke a declaration of a declared area prior to the expiry of the declaration; enable the PJCIS to review a declaration of a declared area at any time while it is in effect and to table a report in both Houses of Parliament following its review; and amend provisions in relation to the protection of sensitive information in continuing detention order proceedings;
    Crime Act 1914
    to: extend the operation of stop, search and seize powers for a further three years; require the AFP to report as soon as practicable after the exercise of these powers; and require the minister to report annually to the Parliament;
    Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979
    to extend the questioning, and questioning and detention, warrant regime for a further 12 months; and
    Intelligence Services Act 2001
    to: require the PJCIS to review the PDO regime, declared areas provisions and the stop, search and seize powers ahead of their sunset date; and enable the PJCIS to monitor and review the performance of the AFP in relation to its stop, search and size powers, and the exercise of the Minister for Home Affairs’ power to declare prescribed security zones. 

    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
    14 Feb 2018 
    Chamber
    House of Representatives 
    Status
    Act 
    Portfolio
    Attorney-General 
    Summary
    Amends the
    Bankruptcy Act 1966
    to reform Australia’s debt agreement system, including by: specifying persons authorised to administer debt agreements and related qualification and registration requirements; specifying arrangements relating to the content, length, variation, termination and voiding of debt agreements; introducing offences relating to the administration of debt agreements; specifying the functions and powers of the Inspector General; modifying requirements in relation to the payment of, and the application process for, unclaimed moneys; and making related technical amendments. 

    Bill | Explanatory Memorandum