Summary

Amends: the Aged Care Act 1997 and Aged Care (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997 to enable the introduction of the Australian National Aged Care Classification to replace the Aged Care Funding Instrument as the residential aged care subsidy calculation model from 1 October 2022; the Aged Care Act 1997 and Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Act 2018 to: provide for nationally consistent pre-employment screening for aged care workers of approved providers to replace existing police checking obligations; enable the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner to make and enforce a code of conduct that will apply to approved providers and their workers, including governing persons; extend the Serious Incident Response Scheme to home and flexible care delivered in a home or community care setting from 1 July 2022; introduce new governance responsibilities for approved providers of Commonwealth-funded aged care; enable the secretary or commissioner to request information or documents from a provider or borrower relating to the use of a loan made with a refundable deposit or accommodation bond and create an offence for a borrower who does not comply with this request; and extend the period of liability for the existing offences for the misuse of refundable accommodation deposits prior to an insolvency event for both providers and key personnel of providers; five Acts to enable information sharing between certain Commonwealth bodies; the National Health Reform Act 2011 and Aged Care Act 1997 to expand the functions of a renamed Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority and establish new governance arrangements and appointments processes; and the National Health Reform Act 2011, Aged Care Act 1997 and Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Act 2018 to enable the use and disclosure of information required for the authority to perform its new functions.