Now lawHealth & Care Introduced in the House of Representatives, 24 Jul 2025

26 laws changed so the new Aged Care Act could start

This law fixed and updated 26 laws so the Aged Care Act 2024 could start on 1 November 2025. It also let health ID numbers be used in aged care and disability services.

Official name: Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025

Who it affects

• Older people already getting aged care: Their government payment can be worked out under special rules so they are no worse off. Unspent home care money stays theirs.
• People waiting for home support: They can get a short-term place in busy times. They keep their spot in the line for a full place.
• Aged care and disability services: They can use national health ID numbers to match records to the right person.
• The Minister for aged care: For two years, they can make rules that change how aged care laws work. Parliament can cancel those rules.
• Families choosing a care home: Star Ratings can now use a home's past and current record of following the rules.

26 laws needed updating

A Royal Commission is a big, formal public investigation. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety looked at problems in aged care. It reported in 2021. In response, Parliament passed a new law, the Aged Care Act 2024.

That new law replaced three older laws. One was the Aged Care Act 1997. The new law is built around the rights of older people. It sets up one single way to check what care a person needs.

It also creates the System Governor. That is the official who runs the aged care system. The new law was due to start on 1 November 2025.

Before it could start, many other laws needed updating. This bill did that work. The Parliamentary Library works for all MPs and takes no side. It says the bill changed 26 laws. The bill has three parts.

A smaller partner bill came with it. That one updated the fee used to protect the money people pay up front to move into a care home.

Fixes to the new Act

Part 1 makes small changes and fixes to the Aged Care Act 2024. Several of them change what older people get.

The government pays part of each person's care costs. The rules can set different ways to work out that payment for people already in care. This keeps the "no worse off" promise. It means people already getting care should not lose out under the new system.

A home care package is a set amount of government money for care at home. Some people have money in their package that they have not spent. That money stays theirs in the new system.

When lots of people need help, some can get a short-term place in home support. That gives them some care while they wait. They keep their spot in the line until a full place comes up.

The Aged Care Quality Standards are the rules every aged care service must meet. The System Governor must check them at least once every five years. Each report must go on the website of the health department, which runs aged care.

Star Ratings are scores that help families compare aged care homes. They can now use a home's past and current record of following the rules.

Some changes in Part 1 started later, on 1 July 2026.

Computers making some decisions

The System Governor can let computer programs do some routine tasks under the new law. These are tasks the System Governor would have to do by hand.

This includes some choices made by Services Australia, the agency that runs Centrelink. It also includes the Department of Veterans' Affairs, which looks after former soldiers. They use a means test to work out what a person pays. A means test checks a person's income and what they own.

If a computer gets something wrong, a person can step in. They can replace the computer's choice with a new one.

Moving to the new system

Part 2 changes the law that handles the move from the old system to the new one. It makes small fixes and adds new powers.

The government can collect, use and share some old information. This is information it gathered under the old aged care laws, welfare laws and grant programs. It is used to get the new system ready. The new law's privacy rules protect it.

Two years to change rules

The biggest change is in Part 2. For the first two years of the new law, the Minister can make rules that change how aged care laws work. This includes how the Aged Care Act itself works.

The government says this is a safety net. It wants to act fast if the switch goes wrong and older people might lose care.

This kind of power is called a "Henry VIII clause". It lets a minister change how a law works without a new vote in Parliament. A Senate group that checks bills often raises worries about these powers. The Senate is the second house of Parliament.

Either house of Parliament can vote to cancel any rules made this way.

Other laws and health IDs

Part 3 updates many other national laws. They now use the new law's words and point to the new law.

It also changes the Healthcare Identifiers Act 2010. A healthcare identifier is a unique number that links a person to their health records. These numbers already run My Health Record, the national online health record. They also run online scripts for medicine and the Australian Immunisation Register, the list of vaccines people have had.

Until now, the rules on using these numbers were narrow. They were mostly for care from doctors and nurses. The change lets them be used in aged care, disability services and other support services. They can also be used for running health services.

A new group, called healthcare support service providers, can get an ID number. These are services that support care but are not run by a single doctor or nurse. The government says the numbers do not open health records. They help match the right records to the right person.

Say your mum moves from hospital into an aged care home. Her carers could use the same ID number to match her records. Her information follows her.

Start date

This is now law. It went to the House of Representatives on 24 July 2025. It passed the House with no changes on 30 July 2025.

A Senate group held a public hearing on 8 August 2025. The Senate agreed to changes from the Liberal and National parties and from Australia's Voice, a small party. It also asked the House to make changes put forward by the Liberal and National parties and independent Senator David Pocock. The House made those changes on 4 September 2025. The bill passed that day.

The Governor-General, the King's representative, signed it into law on 19 September 2025. It became Act No. 45 of 2025. Most parts started with the Aged Care Act on 1 November 2025. The two-year rule power started the day after it was signed.

How they voted

Its journey through Parliament

Official sources

• Bill page on aph.gov.au
• Text of the bill
• Explanatory memorandum
• Bills Digest

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