COVID‑19 Disaster Payment (Funding Arrangements) Act 2021
No. 70, 2021
An Act to make provision in relation to COVID‑19 disaster payments, and for related purposes
Contents
Part 1—Preliminary
1 Short title
2 Commencement
3 Definitions
Part 2—Appropriation
4 Appropriation
Part 3—Annual report
5 Inclusion of information in National Recovery and Resilience Agency’s annual report
COVID-19 Disaster Payment (Funding Arrangements) Act 2021
No. 70, 2021
An Act to make provision in relation to COVID‑19 disaster payments, and for related purposes
[Assented to 30 June 2021]
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
Part 1—Preliminary
1 Short title
This Act is the COVID‑19 Disaster Payment (Funding Arrangements) Act 2021.
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 later of: (a) 1 July 2021; and (b) the day after this Act receives the Royal Assent. | 1 July 2021 |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted.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 Definitions
In this Act:
COVID‑19 disaster payment means a payment or grant of financial assistance covered by item 492 of the table in Part 4 of Schedule 1AB to the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Regulations 1997.
Part 2—Appropriation
4 Appropriation
(1) The Consolidated Revenue Fund is appropriated for the purposes of making COVID‑19 disaster payments.
(2) This section applies to COVID‑19 disaster payments made on or after the commencement of this section and before the end of 30 June 2022.
Part 3—Annual report
5 Inclusion of information in National Recovery and Resilience Agency’s annual report
The Coordinator‑General of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, when preparing that Agency’s annual report under section 46 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 for the reporting period commencing on 1 July 2021, must include information in that report that relates to COVID‑19 disaster payments made in that period.
[Minister’s second reading speech made in—
House of Representatives on 16 June 2021
Senate on 23 June 2021]
Overview
The COVID-19 Disaster Payment (Funding Arrangements) Act 2021, enacted by the Parliament of Australia and assented to on 30 June 2021, is designed to facilitate the provision of COVID-19 disaster payments by appropriating funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for this purpose. This Act ensures that financial assistance, defined as a COVID-19 disaster payment, can be distributed to those in need from the commencement of the Act until the end of 30 June 2022. Additionally, it mandates the inclusion of relevant information regarding these payments in the annual report of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, enhancing transparency and accountability in the administration of these funds. The overarching policy objective is to support individuals and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through timely and structured financial assistance.
Scope and Application
The COVID-19 Disaster Payment (Funding Arrangements) Act 2021 applies to the appropriation of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund specifically for the purposes of making COVID-19 disaster payments. These payments, which are defined as payments or grants of financial assistance covered by item 492 of the table in Part 4 of Schedule 1AB to the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Regulations 1997, are intended to be made on or after the commencement of this Act, up until the end of 30 June 2022. The Act mandates that the Coordinator-General of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency must include information about these payments in the Agency's annual report for the reporting period starting on 1 July 2021, as per the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013. This Act thus ensures that the financial assistance provided during the COVID-19 crisis is accounted for and reported in an official capacity.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of the COVID-19 Disaster Payment (Funding Arrangements) Act 2021 (section 1) are the short title and the commencement provisions (section 2). Section 4 specifies that the Consolidated Revenue Fund is appropriated for the purposes of making COVID-19 disaster payments, and section 5 requires the Coordinator-General of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency to include information in the annual report relating to COVID-19 disaster payments. This Act applies to payments made on or after its commencement and before the end of 30 June 2022 (section 4(2)).
The obligations and requirements imposed by the Act are relatively straightforward. The primary requirement is the appropriation of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for COVID-19 disaster payments (section 4(1)). Additionally, the Coordinator-General of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency is mandated to include specific information about these payments in the Agency’s annual report (section 5). This ensures transparency and accountability in the use of funds allocated for these payments.
There are no explicit offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences detailed in the provided sections of the Act. However, the requirement to include specific information in the annual report (section 5) implies a level of accountability. Failure to comply with this obligation could potentially lead to scrutiny or consequences under other applicable laws or regulations. The Act does not specify any particular penalties or consequences for non-compliance with its provisions within the provided text.