Commonwealth of Australia Explanatory Memoranda

[Index] [Search] [Download] [Bill] [Help]

SOCIAL SERVICES AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2013

                           2013-2014




   THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA




                            SENATE




SOCIAL SERVICES AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2013




       SUPPLEMENTARY EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM




      Amendments to be moved on behalf of the Government




                 (Circulated by the authority of the
     Minister for Social Services, the Hon Kevin Andrews MP)
    SOCIAL SERVICES AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2013

             Amendments to be moved on behalf of the Government


OUTLINE

These amendments defer the commencement of several measures in the Bill in light
of the delayed passage of the Bill.

The amendments also remove from the Bill altogether the measure that would have
delayed the commencement of the Charities Act 2013 by nine months, from
1 January 2014 to 1 September 2014. This measure is no longer appropriate
because the 1 January 2014 commencement date has now passed, and the Act is in
operation.

Lastly, some minor amendments are made to the student start-up loans measure.


Financial impact statement

These amendments, primarily to defer the commencement of several measures in
the Bill, will result in a cost to Government in reduced savings for the measures
specified below.

Unless specified below, there are no financial implications from the amendments.

MEASURE                              FINANCIAL IMPACT
                                     Indicative approximate cost in reduced savings

Family tax benefit and eligibility   $7.7 million
rules
Period of Australian working life    $26.8 million
residence
Interest charge                      $8.0 million
Student start-up loans               $300 million
Pension bonus scheme                 $22.1 million
   SOCIAL SERVICES AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2013

            Amendments to be moved on behalf of the Government


NOTES ON AMENDMENTS

Amendment 1 amends the long title of the Bill to remove the reference to charities
as a matter to which the Bill relates (reflecting the removal from the Bill of the
charities measure by amendment 5 below).

Amendments 2 to 4 amend the commencement table in clause 2 of the Bill to make
the following changes in light of the delayed passage of the Bill:

      Schedule 1A (Charities) - removed from commencement provision (reflecting
      the removal from the Bill of the charities measure by amendment 5 below).

      Schedule 2 (Continuing income management as part of Cape York welfare
      reform) - commencement changed from Royal Assent to 28 days after
      Royal Assent.

      Schedule 3 (Family tax benefit and eligibility rules) - commencement changed
      from 1 January 2014 to 1 May 2014.

      Schedule 4 (Period of Australian working life residence) - commencement
      changed from 1 January 2014 to 1 July 2014.

      Schedule 5 (Interest charge) - commencement changed from 1 January 2014
      to 1 July 2014.

      Schedule 6 (Student start-up loans) - commencement changed from
      1 January 2014 to 1 July 2014.

      Schedule 7 (Paid parental leave) - commencement changed from
      1 March 2014 to 1 July 2014.

      Schedule 8 (Pension bonus scheme) - commencement changed from
      1 March 2014 to 1 July 2014.

      Schedule 9 (Indexation) - commencement changed from 1 March 2014 to
      Royal Assent.

Amendment 5 removes from the Bill Schedule 1A, which would have delayed the
commencement of the Charities Act 2013 by nine months, from 1 January 2014 to
1 September 2014.   This measure is no longer appropriate because the
1 January 2014 commencement date has now passed, and the Act is in operation.




                                        1
Amendments 6 to 11 make consequential amendments to the application and
saving provisions for the family tax benefit and eligibility rules measure in item 36 of
Schedule 3 to the Bill. These amendments reflect the change of commencement
date from 1 January 2014 to 1 May 2014.

Amendments 12 to 32 make consequential amendments to the application
provisions for the period of Australian working life residence measure in items 6
and 14 of Schedule 4 to the Bill. These amendments reflect the change of
commencement date from 1 January 2014 to 1 July 2014.

Amendments 33 to 37 and amendments 43 and 44 make consequential
amendments to several provisions to be inserted into the Social Security Act 1991
and the Student Assistance Act 1973 under the student start-up loans measure in
Schedule 6 to the Bill. These amendments reflect the change of commencement
date from 1 January 2014 to 1 July 2014.

Amendments 38 to 41 and amendments 45 and 46 refine several of the
amendments to the Social Security Act 1991 and the Student Assistance Act 1973 to
remove extraneous provisions regarding the treatment of loans paid incorrectly.
These minor refinements will ensure these loans are treated consistently with similar
income-contingent loans, including those paid under the Higher Education Loan
Program.

Amendment 42 amends new subsection 47DB(1) of the Social Security
(Administration) Act 1999, which item 39 of Schedule 6 proposes to insert, to correct
a cross-reference.

Amendments 47 to 50 make consequential amendments to two provisions to be
inserted into each of the Social Security Act 1991 and the Veterans' Entitlements
Act 1986 under the pension bonus scheme measure in Schedule 8 to the Bill. These
amendments reflect the change of commencement date from 1 March 2014 to
1 July 2014.




                                           2