Bill
Foreign Intelligence Legislation Amendment Bill 2021
passed, as at 2021-09-02. Home Affairs portfolio.
- Sponsor
- Not recorded
- Portfolio
- Home Affairs
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2021-08-25
- second reading — 2021-08-25
- second reading — 2021-08-25
- second reading — 2021-08-25
- committee — 2021-08-25
- third reading — 2021-08-25
- introduced — 2021-08-26
- second reading — 2021-08-26
- second reading — 2021-08-26
- second reading — 2021-08-26
- third reading — 2021-08-26
- passed — 2021-08-26
- royal assent — 2021-09-02
Divisions
- Foreign Intelligence Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 - Second Reading - Agree with bill's main idea — 2021-08-26, Senate: affirmative, ayes 24, noes 2
Plain-language summary
Written by a model from the explanatory memorandum; not the record, as at 2021-08-25.
The bill would close gaps in Australia's foreign intelligence warrant framework so agencies can better collect intelligence on foreign threats.
It would allow the Director-General of Security to seek warrants for intercepting communications to obtain foreign intelligence, even when the geographic location of the sender and recipient cannot be determined beforehand.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security would review the amendments five years after the bill starts.
- Amends the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979.
- Removes the strict ban on intercepting domestic communications that both start and end within Australia.
- Allows the Attorney-General to issue warrants for collecting foreign intelligence on Australians in Australia who act for a foreign power.
Intelligence agencies, the Director-General of Security, the Attorney-General, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, and Australians acting for foreign powers.
Sources
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billhome
frl act