National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Improving Supports for At Risk Participants) 2021

✦ Plain-English Summary

# National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Improving Supports for At Risk Participants) 2021

## What it does
This law tightens oversight of NDIS providers by expanding when the government can investigate them. It now covers not just what providers are *currently* doing wrong, but also what they *have done* in the past. It also brings former employees and former management into these investigations.

## Why it matters
NDIS participants depend on reliable, trustworthy providers. This change lets regulators catch problems they might have missed before—like providers who broke the rules months ago but are still operating. It's aimed at protecting vulnerable people from getting stuck with dodgy services.

## Key details
- **Timing**: The law takes effect the day after it receives Royal Assent (no waiting period).
- **Scope**: Investigators can now look at the track record of current employees *and* people who used to work there, plus current and former management teams.
- **Provider Register**: Information published on the NDIS Provider Register stays public and accessible—this isn't being hidden away.

Official Description

Implements certain recommendations of the Independent review of the adequacy of the regulation of the supports and services provided to Ms Ann-Marie Smith, an NDIS participant, who died on 6 April 2020 by amending the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 to: expand the compliance and enforcement powers of the Commissioner of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission; clarify provider registration provisions; and enable information sharing between the National Disability Insurance Agency and the commission and the disclosure of information to relevant state and territory bodies.

Committee Referrals

Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights; Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee

Full bill PDF →APH page →

Audit History

Introduced

3 June 2021

Last updated on APH

10 Apr 2026

Outcome date

28 Oct 2021

Last checked by Crossbench

yesterday

Full text indexed

yesterday

🗳️

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

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