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senate vote 2022-03-30#14
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2022-04-12 08:33:57
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Title
Bills — National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Participant Service Guarantee and Other Measures) Bill 2022; First Reading- National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Participant Service Guarantee and Other Measures) Bill 2022 - First Reading - Greens amendments
Description
<p class="speaker">Anne Ruston</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">That this bill may proceed without formalities and be now read a first time.</p><p>Question agreed to.</p><p>Bill read a first time.</p><p>I table a revised explanatory memorandum to the bill.</p> <p class="speaker">Slade Brockman</p><p>I will now deal with the amendments circulated by the Australian Greens on sheets 1494 revised, 1506 revised and 1530 revised.</p><p class="italic"> <i>Greens circulated amendments—</i></p><p class="italic">1494:</p><p class="italic">(1) Schedule 1 item 23, page 9 (lines 5 and 6), omit "or CEO's own initiative".</p><p class="italic">(2) Schedule 1, item 23, page 10 (lines 22 to 24), omit subsection (2), substitute:</p><p class="italic"> <i>Variation on request of participant</i></p><p class="italic">(2) The CEO may vary the participant's plan on request of the participant.</p><p class="italic">(3) Schedule 1, item 23, page 11 (lines 21 to 25), omit subsection 47A(6), substitute:</p><p class="italic">(6) The National Disability Insurance Scheme rules may set out matters to which the CEO must have regard in doing a thing under subsection (4).</p><p>1506 revised:</p><p class="italic">(1) Schedule 1, page 18 (after line 3), after item 44, insert:</p><p class="italic">44A After subsection 100(6A)</p><p class="italic">Insert:</p><p class="italic">(6B) The reviewer must give written notice of the reasons for the decision made under subsection (6).</p><p class="italic">(2) Schedule 2, item 3, page 27 (line 11), omit "should", substitute "must".</p><p class="italic">(3) Schedule 2, page 29 (after line 28), after item 17, insert:</p><p class="italic">17A Subsection 24(2)</p><p class="italic">Repeal the subsection, substitute:</p><p class="italic">(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), an impairment or impairments that vary in intensity, are episodic, or are fluctuating may be taken to be permanent, and the person may be taken to be likely to require support under the National Disability Insurance Scheme for the person's lifetime, despite the variation, episodic or fluctuating nature of the impairments.</p><p class="italic">(4) Schedule 2, item 20, page 30 (lines 14 to 19), omit the item, substitute:</p><p class="italic">20 After subsection 25(1)</p><p class="italic">Insert:</p><p class="italic">(1A) For the purposes of subparagraph (1)(a)(i), an impairment or impairments that vary in intensity, are episodic or are fluctuating may be taken to be permanent despite the variation, episodic or fluctuating nature of the impairments.</p><p class="italic">(1B) For the purposes of subparagraph (1)(a)(ii), an impairment or impairments to which a psychosocial disability is attributable and that are episodic or fluctuating may be taken to be permanent despite the episodic or fluctuating nature of the impairments.</p><p class="italic">(5) Schedule 2, item 33, page 33 (after line 21), after subsection (2), insert:</p><p class="italic"> <i>Rules and consultation</i></p><p class="italic">(2A) The National Disability Insurance Scheme rules must include a definition of unreasonable risk that has been co-designed with participants.</p><p class="italic">(6) Schedule 2, page 33 (after line 30), after item 34, insert:</p><p class="italic">34A At the end of section 44</p><p class="italic">Add:</p><p class="italic">(4) Before making any rules under subsections (2A) or (3), the Minister must consult with participants.</p><p class="italic">(7) Schedule 2, item 36, page 34 (after line 26), at the end of section 45, add:</p><p class="italic">Note: This section does not prevent a participant from choosing to fund the payment of supports up-front from their own funds and claiming payment from the NDIS as a reimbursement. This section also does not prevent the use of unregistered providers by self-managed participants.</p><p class="italic">(8) Schedule 2, item 47, page 36 (lines 18 to 23), omit the item, substitute:</p><p class="italic">47 Subsection 127(6)</p><p class="italic">Repeal the subsection, substitute:</p><p class="italic"> <i>Diversity of members</i></p><p class="italic">(6) In appointing the Board members, the Minister must ensure that:</p><p class="italic">(a) at least 50% of Board members are a person with disability; and</p><p class="italic">(b) at least 50% of Board members are women or gender diverse.</p><p>1530 revised:</p><p class="italic">(1) Schedule 1, item 24, page 13 (after line 13), after subsection 48(5), insert:</p><p class="italic"> <i>Procedural fairness</i></p><p class="italic">(5A) The National Disability Insurance Scheme rules must set out requirements relating to procedural fairness in relation to the reassessment of a participant's plan on the CEO's own initiative.</p><p class="italic">(5B) Without limiting subsection (5), the National Disability Scheme rules must require the CEO to:</p><p class="italic">(a) notify the participant of a decision of the CEO to conduct a reassessment of the participant's plan on the CEO's own initiative within a specified time period; and</p><p class="italic">(b) provide reasons to the participant for a decision of the CEO to conduct a reassessment of a participant's plan on the CEO's own initiative; and</p><p class="italic">(c) notify the participant of the matters in the participant's plan that are subject to reassessment; and</p><p class="italic">(d) notify the participant of opportunities for the participant to participate in the reassessment process.</p><p class="italic">(2) Schedule 1, item 61, page 22 (cell at table item 3, third column, after paragraph (b)), insert:</p><p class="italic">(ba) subsection 48(5A);</p><p>The question is that the amendments circulated by Australian Greens on sheet 1494 revised, sheet 1506 revised and sheet 1530 revised be agreed to.</p><p></p> -
- The majority voted against [amendments](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2022-03-30.231.1) introduced by the Australian Greens, which means they failed. The amendments related to the [variation of participant's plans](https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Famend%2Fr6806_amend_db279f95-01b9-4f1e-b2af-27edf21018ba%22;rec=0), various [oversight measures](https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Famend%2Fr6806_amend_cfac5096-98bb-4df4-a2d1-d55ef503a8dc%22;rec=0) and [procedural fairness](https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Famend%2Fr6806_amend_8cbc7273-33d6-48e1-b737-122f4c2982a9%22;rec=0).
- ### What does this bill do?
- According to the [bill homepage](https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r6806), the bill was introduced to:
- * *establish the Participant Service Guarantee to provide timeframes and engagement principles for how the National Disability Insurance Agency undertakes key administrative processes;*
- * *enable participant’s plans to be varied without requiring a full plan review;*
- * *amend the objects and principles of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013;*
- * *clarify the eligibility criteria for people with psychosocial disability;*
- * *streamline certain administrative processes for participants; and*
- * *provide clarity in relation to decisions about plan management requests and extend the risk assessment process for self-management of funding to those using registered plan management providers.*
- Read more in the [bill digest](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd2122a/22bd042).
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