Bill
Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Amendment Bill 2026
passed, as at 2026-08-26. Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio.
- Sponsor
- Not recorded
- Portfolio
- Foreign Affairs and Trade
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2026-07-01
- second reading — 2026-07-01
- other — 2026-08-19
- second reading — 2026-08-19
- second reading — 2026-08-19
- committee — 2026-08-19
- third reading — 2026-08-19
- introduced — 2026-08-20
- second reading — 2026-08-20
- second reading — 2026-08-20
- third reading — 2026-08-20
- other — 2026-08-20
- passed — 2026-08-20
- royal assent — 2026-08-26
Divisions
- No motion text available — 2026-08-19, House of Representatives: negative, ayes 38, noes 80
- Katy Gallagher I move: That this bill be now read a first time. Question agreed to. Bill read a first time. Sue Lines I will now deal with the Committee of the Whole amendment circulated by the government. I understand the minister has a document to table. Katy Gallagher I table a supplementary explanatory memorandum relating to the government amendment to be moved to this bill. Sue Lines The question is that the amendment on sheet AD128 be agreed to. _Government's circulated amendment—_ (1) Page 40 (after line 3), at the end of the Bill, add: Division 5 — Foreign research projects _Australia's Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020_ 95 After Division 6 of Part 5 Insert: Division 6A — Foreign research projects 55A Requirement in relation to foreign research projects (1) An Australian university must maintain policies and procedures for: (a) identifying research projects conducted by researchers employed or engaged by the Australian university with researchers employed or engaged by foreign entities; and (b) assessing whether such research projects: (i) adversely affect, or are likely to adversely affect, Australia's national interest; or (ii) are, or are likely to be, inconsistent with Australia's foreign policy; and (c) managing risks identified through those assessments. (2) The Australian university must take reasonable steps to implement the policies and procedures. (3) In this section: _Australian university_ means a university that is a State/Territory entity under paragraph 7(e). — 2026-08-20, Senate: affirmative, ayes 30, noes 9
- Sue Lines The question now is that the remaining stages of the bill be agreed to and the bill be now passed. — 2026-08-20, Senate: affirmative, ayes 30, noes 9
Plain-language summary
Written by a model from the explanatory memorandum; not the record, as at 2026-08-26.
This bill would change the law that governs agreements between Australian states and territories and foreign bodies.
It would give the federal Minister new powers to impose conditions on arrangements and to extend review timeframes.
The scheme would be reviewed every five years, and overseas university campuses in Australia would be covered.
- The bill strengthens the national interest focus of the Foreign Arrangements Scheme.
- It reduces red tape for lower-risk arrangements.
- It introduces a framework for sharing information across government.
- It requires state and territory bodies to notify the Minister about existing arrangements of certain entities.
- It allows the Minister to overturn automatic cancellations of core foreign arrangements.
- It amends the application of the ASIO Act for certain decisions.
State and territory governments, Australian universities with overseas campuses, and foreign entities that have arrangements with Australian jurisdictions.
Sources
em
em supp
digest
billhome
frl act