Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to 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.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move an amendment to the motion, as circulated:

At the end of the motion, add:

"and, in respect of the Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025, the bill be referred immediately to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 3 February 2026".

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the amendment as moved by Senator Duniam to the Selection of Bills Committee report be agreed to.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move the amendment to the motion that the report be adopted, circulated in my name:

At the end of the motion, add:

"and, in respect of the Fair Work Amendment (Right to Work from Home) Bill 2025, the bill be referred immediately to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 26 March 2026".

Question agreed to.

Original question, as amended, agreed to.