Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated Acts(1) The Minister may, by legislative instrument, make rules called the National Disability Insurance Scheme rules prescribing matters:
(a) required or permitted by this Act to be prescribed by the National Disability Insurance Scheme rules; or
(b) necessary or convenient to be prescribed in order to carry out or give effect to this Act.
Note: Part 4 of Chapter 3 (sunsetting) of the Legislation Act 2003 does not apply to National Disability Insurance Scheme rules (see regulations made for the purposes of paragraph 54(2)(b) of that Act).
(1A) Without limiting subsection 33(3A) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 , rules made for the purposes of subsection (1) of this section:
(a) may be of general application or may be limited as provided in the rules; and
(b) may make different provision in relation to different kinds of providers, supports, services, circumstances or any other matter.
(2) Despite subsection 14(2) of the Legislation Act 2003 , National Disability Insurance Scheme rules may make provision for or in relation to a matter by applying, adopting or incorporating any matter contained in an instrument or other writing as in force or existing from time to time.
(2A) The National Disability Insurance Scheme rules may provide for:
(a) the CEO to specify assessment tools; and
(b) the circumstances in which the CEO is to use the tools; and
(c) matters relating to how the Agency, the CEO and other specified persons are to engage with participants or prospective participants; and
(d) matters relating to how participants or prospective participants are to engage with the Agency, the CEO and other specified persons.
(3) When making National Disability Insurance Scheme rules, the Minister must have regard to:
(a) the objects and principles of this Act; and
(b) the need to ensure the financial sustainability of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
(4) The Minister must not make Category A National Disability Insurance Scheme rules unless the Commonwealth and each host jurisdiction have agreed to the making of the rules.
(5) The Minister must not make Category B National Disability Insurance Scheme rules relating to an area, law or program of a host jurisdiction unless the host jurisdiction has agreed to the making of the rules.
(6) The Minister must not make Category C National Disability Insurance Scheme rules unless the Commonwealth and a majority of host jurisdictions have agreed to the making of the rules.
(6A) A failure to comply with subsection (4), (5) or (6) does not invalidate the making of National Disability Insurance Scheme rules if the Minister reasonably believed, when making those rules:
(a) for Category A National Disability Insurance Scheme rules:
(i) that sections 209A, 209B and 209C, as applicable, were complied with in relation to the making of the rules; and
(ii) that each host jurisdiction had agreed to the making of the rules; or
(b) for Category B National Disability Insurance Scheme rules relating to an area, law or program of a host jurisdiction:
(i) that section 209D was complied with in relation to the making of the rules; and
(ii) that the host jurisdiction had agreed to the making of the rules; or
(c) for Category C National Disability Insurance Scheme rules:
(i) that section 209D was complied with in relation to the making of the rules; and
(ii) that the Commonwealth and a majority of host jurisdictions had agreed to the making of the rules.
(7) The Minister must not make Category D National Disability Insurance Scheme rules unless each host jurisdiction has been consulted in relation to the making of the rules.
(8) The following table sets out the categories of National Disability Insurance Scheme rules for the purposes of this section.
Categories of National Disability Insurance Scheme rules | ||
Item | Category of rules | Description |
1 | Category A National Disability Insurance Scheme rules | Rules made for the purposes of any of the following provisions: (aaa) subsections 10(1) and (4), paragraph 10(6)(a), subparagraph 10(6)(d)(iv), paragraph 10(7)(c) and subsection 10(8); (aa) subsection 14(3); (a) section 17; (ba) section 25; (c) section 27; (ca) subsection 29(3); (caa) paragraph 30(6A)(f); (cb) subsections 30A(1) and (2) and paragraphs 30A(7A)(f) and (9)(a); (cbb) subparagraph 32C(c)(ii); (cc) subparagraph 32D(6)(b)(ii), paragraph 32D(6)(f) and subsection 32D(8); (cd) subsection 32E(4); (ce) paragraph 32F(7)(c); (cf) subsection 32G(4); (cg) paragraph 32H(2)(d); (ch) section 32J; (cha) subsection 32K(1); (ci) subsections 32L(2), (6) and (7A); (d) section 33, other than paragraph 33(4)(a); (e) section 35; (ea) paragraph 36(3A)(f); (eaa) subsection 41(3); (eab) paragraph 43(2C)(c) and subsection 43(2D); (eac) subparagraph 44(1)(b)(ii) and subsections 44(3), (4) and (5); (ead) paragraph 45A(5)(b); (eb) paragraph 47A(1)(b), subparagraph 47A(1AB)(j)(iii), paragraph 47A(2A)(f) and subsection 47A(6); (f) subsection 48(5); (h) paragraph 74(3C)(c), subparagraph 74(4)(b)(ii) and subsection 74(6); (i) section 75; (j) section 76; (k) section 80; (l) section 88; (m) section 93. All other rules, except Category B National Disability Insurance Scheme rules, Category C National Disability Insurance Scheme rules and Category D National Disability Insurance Scheme rules |
2 | Category B National Disability Insurance Scheme rules | Rules made for the purposes of any of the following provisions: (d) section 58; (e) section 73H, to the extent that the rules deal with conditions on classes of registration relating to behaviour support; (f) subsection 73T(1), to the extent that the NDIS Practice Standards deal with the screening of workers involved in the provision of supports or services to people with disability under the National Disability Insurance Scheme. |
3 | Category C National Disability Insurance Scheme rules | Rules made for the purposes of any of the following provisions: (a) paragraph 20(2)(b); (ab) paragraph 32(4)(b); (ac) paragraph 32D(4)(a); (b) paragraph 33(4)(a); (c) paragraph 47A(8)(a); (d) paragraph 48(8)(a); (e) subsection 49(2); (f) section 50J; (g) paragraphs 89(1)(c) and (3)(c); (h) subparagraph 90(3)(a)(ii); (i) paragraph 100(6A)(a); (j) subsection 174(3); (k) section 204; (l) subsection 204A(1); (m) paragraphs (2A)(c) and (d) of this section. |
4 | Category D National Disability Insurance Scheme rules | Rules made for the purposes of any of the following provisions: (a) paragraph (b) of the definition of NDIS provider in section 9; (aa) subsection 32B(3); (ab) paragraph 32BA(1)(b), subparagraph 32BA(5)(a)(ii) and paragraphs 32BA(5)(c) and (6)(c); (b) section 40; (ba) section 45; (c) section 46; (ca) section 67; (cb) paragraph 67A(1)(db); (d) section 67F; (e) subsection 73B(1); (f) paragraphs 73E(1)(d), (e) and (f); (g) section 73H, other than to the extent covered by table item 2; (h) paragraphs 73N(1)(d), (e) and (f); (i) paragraphs 73P(1)(d), (e) and (f); (j) section 73Q; (k) subsection 73T(1), other than to the extent covered by table item 2; (ka) subsections 73U(4A) and (9A); (l) subsection 73V(1); (m) paragraph 73W(b); (n) subsection 73X(1); (o) paragraph 73Y(b); (p) subsections 73Z(1) and (5); (q) paragraph 73ZM(2)(h); (qa) subparagraphs 73ZN(1)(b)(iii) and (2)(a)(iii) and paragraph 73ZN(2A)(a); (r) paragraphs 73ZS(2A)(d), (2B)(d), (3)(l), (4)(h) and (5)(f); (s) subsection 73ZS(7); (t) subsection 99(2); (u) section 106; (v) section 107; (w) section 182; (x) section 194. |
(9) To avoid doubt, the National Disability Insurance Scheme rules may not do the following:
(a) create an offence or civil penalty;
(b) provide powers of:
(i) arrest or detention; or
(ii) entry, search or seizure;
(c) impose a tax;
(d) set an amount to be appropriated from the Consolidated Revenue Fund under an appropriation in this Act;
(e) directly amend the text of this Act.
(10) National Disability Insurance Scheme rules that are inconsistent with the regulations have no effect to the extent of the inconsistency, but National Disability Insurance Scheme rules are taken to be consistent with the regulations to the extent that the National Disability Insurance Scheme rules are capable of operating concurrently with the regulations.