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❌This bill did not pass parliament20 Feb 2025

The bill was rejected or lapsed before becoming law.

🏛 House of Representatives3 readingsAmendments circulated

Veterans—€™ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) 2024

✦ Plain-English Summary

# Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024 ## What it does This bill combines and updates three separate veterans' compensation laws into one simpler system. It closes off new claims under two older schemes (DRCA and VEA) for people who served after 2004, while letting veterans who served before 2004 bring old conditions into the newer system to get them reassessed for compensation. ## Why it matters Veterans won't have to navigate three different legal systems anymore, which should make it faster and easier to get the support they're entitled to. It also gives older veterans a second chance to get their pre-2004 service-related conditions recognised and compensated under the modern scheme. ## Key details - **Who's affected**: Primarily serving members and veterans from all eras, with the biggest changes hitting those who served between 1948 and 2004 - **The swap**: New claimants join one unified system; existing claimants under the old schemes keep their entitlements but can opt into the new one if it's better for them - **What gets covered**: The bill allows claims for injuries and illnesses from treatment, expands funeral expense compensation, includes new support for household and attendant care, and clarifies rules around tobacco-related claims (removing some liability restrictions)

Official Description

Amends the: Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 , Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 and Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to: consolidate compensation and rehabilitation entitlements; amend various allowance and support schemes; and standardise the merits review pathway for veterans’ entitlements decisions; Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 , Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 and Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to consolidate the Repatriation Commission and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission; Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 and Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to transfer provisions relating to the Repatriation Medical Authority and the Specialist Medical Review Council; Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to change the disability compensation cessation date; and Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 and Military Rehabilitation and Compensation (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2004 to include application and transitional provisions. Also makes consequential amendments to 30 Acts.

Committee Referrals

Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee; Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights; Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills

Full bill PDF →APH page →

Audit History

Introduced

3 July 2024

Last updated on APH

10 Apr 2026

Outcome date

20 Feb 2025

Last checked by Crossbench

today

Full text indexed

today

🗳️

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.

Constituent votes

Voting is closed — this bill has been decided by parliament.

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