Overarching responsibilities and principal legislation
Each Commonwealth minister has executive responsibility allocated by the Governor-General under the Administrative Arrangements Order(Opens in a new tab/window) (AAO). The AAO sets out which matters and legislation are administered by each department or portfolio.
The AAO is administered by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Visit the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website for the original and subsequent amendments(Opens in a new tab/window).
Principal Acts administered by our department may be found on the AAO and include:
- A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999(Opens in a new tab/window)
- A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Business Services Wage Assessment Tool Payment Scheme Act 2015(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Carer Recognition Act 2010(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Data-matching Program (Assistance and Tax) Act 1990(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Disability Services and Inclusion Act 2023(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Act 2023(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Gambling Measures Act 2012(Opens in a new tab/window)
- National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013(Opens in a new tab/window)
- National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Act 2018(Opens in a new tab/window)
- National Rental Affordability Scheme Act 2008(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Not-for-profit Sector Freedom to Advocate Act 2013(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Paid Parental Leave Act 2010(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Social Security Act 1991(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Social Security (Administration) Act 1999(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Social Security (International Agreements) Act 1999(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Student Assistance Act 1973(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Supported Accommodation Assistance Act 1994(Opens in a new tab/window).
Federal Register of Legislation
The Federal Register of Legislation(Opens in a new tab/window) (FRL) is the authorised whole-of-government website for Commonwealth legislation and related documents. It contains the full text and details of the lifecycle of individual laws and the relationships between them.
The Legislation Register is managed by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.
All legislation and related documents administered by our department appear on the FRL website.
Guides to Social Policy Law
The Guides to Social Policy Law is a collection of publications designed to assist decision makers administering social policy law.
Visit the Guides to Social Policy Law website to view the following:
- Social Security Guide(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Family Assistance Guide(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Paid Parental Leave Guide(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Child Support Guide(Opens in a new tab/window)
- ABSTUDY Policy Manual(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme Guidelines(Opens in a new tab/window)
- National Redress Guide(Opens in a new tab/window).
Status of legislation
Information on Social Services Bills is available on the bills and legislation(Opens in a new tab/window) page of the Parliament of Australia website.