Bill
COVID-19 Disaster Payment (Funding Arrangements) Bill 2021
passed, as at 2021-06-30. Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management portfolio.
- Sponsor
- Not recorded
- Portfolio
- Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2021-06-16
- second reading — 2021-06-16
- second reading — 2021-06-22
- second reading — 2021-06-22
- third reading — 2021-06-22
- introduced — 2021-06-23
- second reading — 2021-06-23
- second reading — 2021-06-24
- second reading — 2021-06-24
- third reading — 2021-06-24
- passed — 2021-06-24
- royal assent — 2021-06-30
Divisions
- Covid-19 Disaster Payment (Funding Arrangements) Bill 2021 - Second Reading - Quarantine and vaccine program — 2021-06-22, House of Representatives: affirmative, ayes 75, noes 63
- Covid-19 Disaster Payment (Funding Arrangements) Bill 2021 - Second Reading - Quarantine and vaccine rollout — 2021-06-24, Senate: negative, ayes 28, noes 32
- The majority voted against [requests for amendment](https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Famend%2Fr6728_amend_bdf9dbcc-0c71-4aa3-93a8-96c47fc970c6%22;rec=0) that were proposed by the Greens Party, which means they failed. ### Amendment text > *(1) Clause 3, page 2 (line 18), at the end of the definition of COVID 19 disaster payment, add "as modified by section 3A of this Act".* > > *(2) Page 2 (after line 18), after Part 1, insert:* > >> *Part 1A — COVID 19 disaster payment* >> >> *3A COVID 19 disaster payment* >> >> *(1) The program for a COVID 19 disaster payment, as specified in item 492 of the table in Part 4 of Schedule 1AB to the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Regulations 1997, must comply with the following requirements:* >> >>> *(a) the payments must be available under the program in respect of a location in Australia that is subject to a State or Territory public health order restricting the movement of persons for a period of 7 days or more;* >>> >>> *(b) the payments must be available in respect of the period starting on the first day the restrictions are imposed by the order (and not limited only to the period starting after the end of the 7 day period);* >>> >>> *(c) the availability of the payments in respect of the location must not be made subject to the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer first determining the location to be a COVID 19 hotspot;* >>> >>> *(d) the eligibility criteria must not include requirements that a person:* >>> >>>> *(i) has less than $10,000 of liquid assets; or* >>>> >>>> *(ii) does not receive a Commonwealth income support payment or payment of a similar nature.* >> >> *(2) Subsection (1) applies notwithstanding item 492 of the table in Part 4 of Schedule 1AB to the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Regulations 1997 and prevails to the extent of any inconsistency with that item.* >> >> *(3) The program for a COV — 2021-06-24, Senate: negative, ayes 9, noes 34
Plain-language summary
Written by a model from the explanatory memorandum; not the record, as at 2021-06-16.
This bill would create a special fund in the federal budget to pay the COVID-19 disaster payment to eligible workers.
It would set up a special appropriation that lets the government spend money as needed from the Consolidated Revenue Fund until 30 June 2022.
From 1 July 2021, the National Recovery and Resilience Agency would take over responsibility for the payment, and its annual report must include details of payments made.
- The bill establishes a special appropriation for the COVID-19 disaster payment.
- It shifts responsibility for the payment to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency from 1 July 2021.
- It requires the Coordinator-General of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency to include information about COVID-19 disaster payments in the agency's annual report.
Workers who are Australian citizens, permanent residents or temporary visa holders with work rights, aged 17 or over, who cannot earn their usual income due to public health restrictions in a COVID-19 hotspot and have liquid assets under $10,000.
Sources
em
billhome
frl act