Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Aged Care and Seniors) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be read a second time.

I introduce the Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025.

This bill is a counterpart to the bill that I just introduced before this, and it complements the provisions it contains.

This bill makes additional technical, transitional, and consequential changes to support the commencement of the new Aged Care Act 2024.

This bill makes consequential amendments to Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Act 2006 which guarantees certain payments made by older Australians who seek to access funded aged care.

It does so in two main ways. Firstly, it ensures that registered providers under the new act framework continue to be subject to the government's guarantee scheme.

Secondly, it provides that the government may levy the costs of this guarantee from certain classes of registered providers in certain circumstances, such as when there is a default event.

This bill is an important measure to ensure that funded aged-care services remain sustainable, and payments made by older Australians remain protected into the future.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.

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