Senate debates
Thursday, 27 November 2025
Committees
Selection of Bills Committee; Report
11:47 am
Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source
I present the ninth report for 2025 of the Selection of Bills Committee, and I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard.
Leave granted.
The report read as follows—
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
REPORT NO. 9 OF 2025
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
SenatorLisaDarmanin(ActingGovernmentWhip,Chair) Senator Wendy Askew (Opposition Whip)
SenatorSeanBell(PaulineHanson'sOneNationWhip) Senator Nick McKim (Australian Greens Whip)Senator Ralph Babet
Senator Leah Blyth SenatorRossCadell
SenatortheHon.AnthonyChisholm Senator Jessica Collins
SenatortheHon.KatyGallagher Senator Jacqui Lambie
SenatorFatimaPayman Senator David Pocock
SenatorTonySheldon(GovernmentWhip) Senator Lidia Thorpe
Secretary: TimBryant 02 6277 3020
1. The committee met in private session on Wednesday, 26 November 2025 at 7.16 pm.
2. The committee recommends that—
(a) the provisions of the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 26 February 2026 (see appendix 1 for statements of reasons for referral);
(b) the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 20 March 2026 (see appendix 2 for statements of reasons for referral);
(c) the provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Genetic Testing Protections in Life Insurance and Other Measures) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 26 February 2026 (see appendix 3 for statements of reasons for referral); and
(d) the provisions of the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025 and the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 26 February 2026 (see appendix 4 for statements of reasons for referral).
3. The committee recommends that the following bills not be referred to committees:
4. The committee deferred consideration of the following bills to its next meeting:
5. The committee considered the Fair Work Amendment (Right to Work from Home) Bill 2025 but was unable to reach agreement.
(Lisa Darmanin)
Chair
26 November 2025
Appendix 1
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025
Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:
To scrutinise this legislation and to hear from stakeholders about the importance of this legislation.
Possible submissions or evidence from:
Interested parties and stakeholders
Committee to which bill is to be referred:
Community Affairs Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
December to February
Possible reporting date:
26 February 2026
14I Deferred Bills
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025
Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:
Hear from stakeholders about changes to prescribing Possible submissions or evidence from:
Various stakeholders including nurses and nurse representative bodies, other health professional bodies
Committee to which bill is to be referred: Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
0-1 hearings during week of 16th Feb.
Possible reporting date:
26 Feb 2026
Appendix 2
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025
Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:
To scrutinise this legislation and to hear from stakeholders about the importance of this legislation.
Possible submissions or evidence from:
Interested parties and stakeholders
Committee to which bill is to be referred:
Community Affairs Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
December to February
Possible reporting date:
1 March 2026
15 I Deferred Bills
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025
Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:
Hear from stakeholders about registration and safeguarding, as well any other inclusions in the Bill
Possible submissions or evidence from:
Various stakeholders including disability representative organisations, members of the disability community, service providers
Committee to which bill is to be referred:
Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
2 hearings during 16-27 Feb, month of April
Possible reporting date:
30th March 2026—members of the disability community will require this amount of time to participate fully in the inquiry
Appendix 3
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
Treasury Laws Amendment (Genetic Testing Protections in Life Insurance and Other Measures) Bill 2025
Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: T
To examine the Bill in more detail and hear from relevant stakeholders.
Possible submissions or evidence from: interested stakeholders.
Committee to which bill is to be referred: Senate Economics Legislation Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
Week of 16th February 2026
Possible reporting date:
26 February 2026
Appendix 4
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025 Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025
Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:
To scrutinise this legislation and to hear from stakeholders about the importance of this legislation.
Possible submissions or evidence from:
Interested parties and stakeholders
Committee to which bill is to be referred: Education & Employment Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
December to February
Possible reporting date: '
5 March 2026
17 I Deferred Bills
I move:
That the report be adopted.
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