Aged Care (Bond Security) Amendment Act 2013

Administered by Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Legislation au C2013A00077 In force Act

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Aged Care (Bond Security) Amendment Act 2013

 

No. 77, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

An Act to amend the Aged Care (Bond Security) Act 2006, and for related purposes

 

 

Contents

1 Short title

2 Commencement

3 Schedule(s)

Schedule 1—Amendments

Aged Care (Bond Security) Act 2006

 

 

 

Aged Care (Bond Security) Amendment Act 2013

No. 77, 2013

 

 

 

An Act to amend the Aged Care (Bond Security) Act 2006, and for related purposes

[Assented to 28 June 2013]

 

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

  This Act may be cited as the Aged Care (Bond Security) Amendment Act 2013.

2  Commencement

  This Act commences on 1 July 2014.

3  Schedule(s)

  Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

 

Aged Care (Bond Security) Act 2006

1  Title

Omit “bond”, substitute “accommodation payment”.

2  Section 1

Omit “Bond”, substitute “Accommodation Payment”.

Note: This item amends the short title of the Act. If another amendment of the Act is described by reference to the Act’s previous short title, that other amendment has effect after the commencement of this item as an amendment of the Act under its amended short title (see section 10 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901).

3  Section 3

Omit “a bond”, substitute “an accommodation payment”.

4  Section 3

Omit “Bond”, substitute “Accommodation Payment”.

5  Subsection 6(1)

Insert:

accommodation bond balance has the meaning given by the Dictionary in Schedule 1 to the Aged Care Act 1997.

accommodation payment balance means:

 (a) a refundable deposit balance; or

 (b) an accommodation bond balance; or

 (c) an entry contribution balance; or

 (d) an unregulated lump sum balance.

6  Subsection 6(1) (paragraph (i) of the definition of administrative costs)

Omit “Bond”, substitute “Accommodation Payment”.

7  Subsection 6(1) (definitions of bond and bond balance)

Repeal the definitions.

8  Subsection 6(1)

Insert:

entry contribution balance has the meaning given by the Dictionary in Schedule 1 to the Aged Care Act 1997.

9  Subsection 6(1)

Insert:

outstanding accommodation payment balance has the meaning given by subsection (2).

10  Subsection 6(1) (definition of outstanding bond balance)

Repeal the definition.

11  Subsection 6(1) (definition of operator)

Repeal the definition.

12  Subsection 6(1)

Insert:

refundable deposit balance has the meaning given by the Dictionary in Schedule 1 to the Aged Care Act 1997.

13  Subsection 6(2) (heading)

Repeal the heading, substitute:

Outstanding accommodation payment balance

14  Subsection 6(2)

Omit “a bond balance is an outstanding bond balance”, substitute “an accommodation payment balance is an outstanding accommodation payment balance”.

15  Paragraph 6(2)(a)

Omit “bond”, substitute “accommodation payment”.

16  After paragraph 6(2)(a)

Insert:

 (aa) in relation to a refundable deposit balance—that time is later than the time required for payment of the balance to be refunded by the person under Division 52P of the Aged Care Act 1997; and

17  Paragraph 6(2)(b)

Omit “accommodation bond or entry contribution—that time is later than the time required for the bond balance”, substitute “accommodation bond balance or entry contribution balance—that time is later than the time required for the balance”.

18  Subparagraph 6(2)(b)(i)

Omit “Aged Care Act 1997”, substitute “Aged Care (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997”.

19  Subparagraph 6(2)(b)(ii)

Omit “User Rights”, substitute “Aged Care (Transitional Provisions)”.

20  Subparagraph 6(2)(b)(ii)

Omit “Aged Care Act 1997”, substitute “Aged Care (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997”.

21  Subparagraph 6(2)(b)(iii)

Omit “bond”.

22  Section 6A

Repeal the section.

23  Paragraph 7(1)(b)

Omit “bond”, substitute “accommodation payment”.

24  Paragraph 9(2)(c)

Omit “bond”, substitute “accommodation payment”.

25  Paragraphs 10(1)(b) and 10(2)(c)

Omit “bond”, substitute “accommodation payment”.

26  Paragraph 11(1)(b)

Omit “bond”, substitute “accommodation payment”.

27  Subsection 12(1)

Omit “bond” (wherever occurring), substitute “accommodation payment”.

28  Subsection 12(2)

Omit “bond” (wherever occurring), substitute “accommodation payment”.

29  Paragraph 12(2)(c)

Omit “User Rights”, substitute “Fees and Payments”.

30  Paragraph 12(3)(a)

Omit “a bond”, substitute “an accommodation payment”.

31  Subsection 13(1)

Omit “bond” (wherever occurring), substitute “accommodation payment”.

32  Paragraph 13(2)(b)

Omit “bond”, substitute “accommodation payment”.

33  Paragraphs 13A(1)(a) and (b)

Repeal the paragraphs, substitute:

 (a) a person who is or has been an approved provider (the approved provider or former approved provider) refunds part of an accommodation payment balance (the initial refund); and

 (b) after the initial refund, the Secretary, under paragraph 12(2)(b), determines the amount that the Secretary considers is equal to the amount of the accommodation payment balance that has not been refunded at the time the Secretary makes the determination; and

34  Paragraphs 13A(2)(b) and (3)(b)

Omit “bond”, substitute “accommodation payment”.

35  Paragraphs 19(3)(b) and 22(1)(c)

Omit “Bond”, substitute “Accommodation Payment”.

36  Savings—insolvency events

Despite the amendments made by this Schedule, the Aged Care (Bond Security) Act 2006, as in force immediately before the commencement of this item, continues to apply, after the commencement of this item, in relation to insolvency events that occur before the commencement of this item.

 

 

 

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 13 March 2013

Senate on 17 June 2013]

 

(36/13)

 

Overview

The Aged Care (Bond Security) Amendment Act 2013 was enacted to update and refine the provisions of the Aged Care (Bond Security) Act 2006, addressing issues related to the security of payments in aged care services. The Act was passed by the Parliament of Australia and received royal assent on 28 June 2013, with a commencement date of 1 July 2014. Its primary objective is to modernise the terminology and clarify the definitions concerning payments made in aged care facilities, ensuring better understanding and application of the law. The Act replaces references to "bond" with "accommodation payment" throughout the legislation, thereby aligning the terminology with other related acts and improving the overall coherence of aged care legislation.

Scope and Application

The Aged Care (Bond Security) Amendment Act 2013 amends the Aged Care (Bond Security) Act 2006, replacing the term "bond" with "accommodation payment" throughout the Act. This legislation applies to approved providers who are required to hold accommodation payments as security for the provision of aged care services, and it governs the terms and conditions under which these payments are held, managed, and refunded. The Act's scope extends to the Commonwealth jurisdiction, thereby applying uniformly across Australia. The amendments made by this Act are effective from 1 July 2014, although provisions continue to apply to insolvency events occurring prior to this date. The Act does not explicitly state exclusions or exemptions, but it does include specific definitions for various types of accommodation payments such as refundable deposit balances, accommodation bond balances, entry contribution balances, and unregulated lump sum balances. The Act also provides for the application of subordinate instruments, which may further extend or restrict the application of the Act’s provisions.

Key Provisions

The Aged Care (Bond Security) Amendment Act 2013 (C2013A00077) primarily focuses on amending the Aged Care (Bond Security) Act 2006, changing terminology and definitions related to aged care bond securities. Section 1 of the Act changes the short title from "Aged Care (Bond Security) Act 2006" to "Aged Care (Accommodation Payment) Act 2006". Section 3 and other relevant sections replace all occurrences of the term "bond" with "accommodation payment" throughout the Act, including in definitions and operational provisions. The term "accommodation payment balance" is introduced to encompass various types of balances, including refundable deposit balances, accommodation bond balances, entry contribution balances, and unregulated lump sum balances. The obligations imposed by the Act include ensuring that all references to bonds in the original Act are updated to reflect the new terminology, "accommodation payment". This involves not only the replacement of the term itself but also redefining associated terms like "accommodation payment balance" and "outstanding accommodation payment balance". The Act mandates that these new terms are used consistently throughout the legislation and any related documents or communications. Under the amended Act, there are no explicit provisions detailing offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breaches. However, the importance of adhering to these changes is underscored by the thoroughness of the amendments, suggesting that non-compliance with these updates could lead to legal inconsistencies or misinterpretations of the law. Although the Act does not specify penalties, any failure to comply with the updated terminology and definitions could result in administrative or legal repercussions, as it may lead to misunderstandings in the implementation of aged care policies and bond-related obligations.

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Area of Law
Elder Law
Consumer Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Commencement Provisions
Repeal & Amendment
Reporting & Disclosure Obligations
Regulatory Standards

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.