Australian Immunisation Register and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2017
No. 81, 2017
An Act to amend the law relating to immunisation and family assistance, and for related purposes
Contents
1 Short title
2 Commencement
3 Schedules
Schedule 1—Australian Immunisation Register amendments
Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015
Schedule 2—Family assistance amendments
A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999
Australian Immunisation Register and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2017
No. 81, 2017
An Act to amend the law relating to immunisation and family assistance, and for related purposes
[Assented to 16 August 2017]
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
1 Short title
This Act is the Australian Immunisation Register and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2017.
2 Commencement
(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
Commencement information |
Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
Provisions | Commencement | Date/Details |
1. The whole of this Act | The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent. | 17 August 2017 |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.
3 Schedules
Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.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—Australian Immunisation Register amendments
Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015
1 Paragraph 9(b)
Omit “about each of those vaccinations”, substitute “provided by a recognised vaccination provider about each relevant vaccination”.
2 Paragraph 9(c)
After “general practitioner”, insert “, a paediatrician, a public health physician, an infectious diseases physician or a clinical immunologist”.
3 Subparagraph 9(d)(iii)
After “general practitioner”, insert “, paediatrician, public health physician, infectious diseases physician or clinical immunologist”.
4 Application provisions
(1) The amendment made by item 1 applies in relation to relevant vaccinations that take place on or after the commencement of that item.
(2) The amendments made by items 2 and 3 apply in relation to assessments made on or after the commencement of those items.
Schedule 2—Family assistance amendments
A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999
1 Paragraphs 6(3)(a) and (b)
After “general practitioner”, insert “, a paediatrician, a public health physician, an infectious diseases physician or a clinical immunologist”.
2 Application provision
The amendment made by this Schedule applies in relation to certifications given on or after the commencement of this item.
[Minister’s second reading speech made in—
House of Representatives on 23 March 2017
Senate on 9 August 2017]
Overview
The Australian Immunisation Register and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2017 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to make amendments to the law relating to immunisation and family assistance, and for related purposes. The Act was assented to on 16 August 2017 and commenced on the day after Royal Assent, 17 August 2017. The principal objective of this legislation is to ensure that immunisation records are accurately maintained on the Australian Immunisation Register by expanding the types of healthcare professionals who can provide information about vaccinations and who can assess immunisation status. This Act amends the Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015 to expand the definition of recognised vaccination providers and authorised persons who can assess immunisation status to include paediatricians, public health physicians, infectious diseases physicians, and clinical immunologists. The amendments are designed to ensure that immunisation records on the Australian Immunisation Register are up-to-date and reflect the most current and comprehensive medical assessments.
Scope and Application
The Australian Immunisation Register and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2017, which received royal assent on 17 August 2017, makes amendments to both the Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015 and the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999. This Act aims to modify the law concerning immunisation and family assistance, thereby affecting health professionals and families receiving family assistance payments. Specifically, it expands the types of healthcare professionals recognised for immunisation assessments to include paediatricians, public health physicians, infectious diseases physicians, and clinical immunologists, thereby broadening the scope of the legislation. The amendments to the Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015 apply to relevant vaccinations administered on or after the commencement of these amendments, while the changes to the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 apply to certifications issued on or after the same date. The legislation does not explicitly outline exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds, and does not extend or restrict its application through subordinate instruments as per the provided text.
Key Provisions
The Australian Immunisation Register and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2017 makes specific changes to the Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015 and the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999. The Act amends the Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015 to clarify the types of providers whose records can be included in the Register. Under section 9(b) of the Act, the amendment specifies that information about vaccinations must come from a recognised vaccination provider rather than simply anyone involved in the vaccination process. Furthermore, section 9(c) expands the list of professionals who can assess vaccinations to include paediatricians, public health physicians, infectious diseases physicians, and clinical immunologists, in addition to general practitioners. These amendments apply to relevant vaccinations administered on or after the Act's commencement, as well as assessments made on or after the relevant commencement dates specified for each change.
The Act also imposes obligations on the parties and entities it governs by clarifying the scope of professionals authorised to assess vaccinations and the types of providers whose records can be included in the Australian Immunisation Register. This ensures that only qualified and recognised professionals contribute to the Register, maintaining its integrity and reliability. The requirement that information must come from recognised vaccination providers ensures that the data is accurate and comes from credible sources.
Failure to comply with the requirements set forth in the Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015 could result in civil or criminal penalties. While the specific penalties are not detailed in the Act itself, non-compliance with such legislative requirements can lead to fines, legal action, or other consequences as prescribed by relevant laws. The amendments to the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 also carry potential civil or criminal consequences for non-compliance, particularly if certifications are not given by the authorised professionals listed in the Act.