This bill is currently before Parliament.
Immigration, border & security
Replaces the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002The existing Commonwealth Act that the bill says it would replace. and recasts the Australian Criminal Intelligence CommissionThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency. as Australia's national criminal intelligence agency for serious and organised crimeThe crime category around which the bill aligns the ACIC's intelligence functions and powers..
The government says serious and organised crimeThe crime category around which the bill aligns the ACIC's intelligence functions and powers. is a persistent national security and economic threat, and that the ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency.'s existing functions and powers under the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002The existing Commonwealth Act that the bill says it would replace. are no longer fit for an intelligence-led role. The bill responds to the Independent Review by restating the agency's mandate, aligning its powers to serious and organised crimeThe crime category around which the bill aligns the ACIC's intelligence functions and powers. intelligence, and adding oversight and reporting arrangements.
The bill sits in a longer shift from the old Australian Crime Commission model toward a national criminal intelligence agency. It also forms part of a package: the separate National Policing InformationCross-jurisdictional policing information systems and services that support police, intelligence and community safety functions. Charges Bill deals with charges for nationally coordinated criminal history checkA national criminal history check service provided through the ACIC and used for employment, volunteering, licensing and screening purposes. services, while this bill sets the main ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency. functions, powers, information-sharing rules and oversight architecture.
The collected bundle does not include opposition speeches, amendments, divisions or committee findings setting out detailed criticism. The main caution visible in the available materials is the bill's rights and oversight sensitivity: it would give the ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency. coercive examination powers, controlled intelligence operationA proposed covert intelligence operation framework that can authorise specified unlawful conduct for intelligence collection, subject to legal limits and oversight. powers, search warrant powers and secrecy offences, so safeguards, reporting and independent oversight are central to the bill's design.
Julian Hill MP introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from Labor.
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
No final vote yet
The bill has not yet completed passage through Parliament.
Days since introduction
77 days
Updated 10 June 2026.
Meaning
Replaces the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002The existing Commonwealth Act that the bill says it would replace. and recasts the Australian Criminal Intelligence CommissionThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency. as Australia's national criminal intelligence agency for serious and organised crimeThe crime category around which the bill aligns the ACIC's intelligence functions and powers..
Clarifies the ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency.'s core job: collecting, analysing and sharing intelligence about serious and organised crimeThe crime category around which the bill aligns the ACIC's intelligence functions and powers., while continuing national policing informationCross-jurisdictional policing information systems and services that support police, intelligence and community safety functions. and criminal history check services.
Creates new frameworks for coercive examinations, controlled intelligence operations, search warrants and assistance orders, with approval, reporting and oversight mechanisms built around those powers.
Allows the ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency. to keep operating national policing informationCross-jurisdictional policing information systems and services that support police, intelligence and community safety functions. systems, nationally coordinated criminal history checks, and criminal intelligence assessments for some secure-environment and firearms background checks.
Requires annual reporting, record keeping, Inspector-General of Intelligence and SecurityThe Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, an independent oversight office that would oversee aspects of the ACIC's intelligence-related powers. oversight arrangements, and periodic reviews of the proposed Act and rules.
The Bill replaces the ACC Act, to equip the ACIC with the functions and powers required to deliver its role as Australia's national criminal intelligence agency.Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission explanatory memorandum
Pursuant to the Bill, the ACIC will be responsible for: obtaining, correlating, analysing and evaluating intelligence relevant to serious and organised crime; communicating this intelligence with key partnersAustralian Criminal Intelligence Commission explanatory memorandum
The ACIC's coercive powers will be in line with the Government response to relevant recommendations of the Independent Review. These include that the ACIC should retain its ability to use coercive powers for intelligence collection purposes with a revised 2-step authorisation processAustralian Criminal Intelligence Commission explanatory memorandum
The Bill will enable the ACIC to continue to provide NPI systems and services, which enable the sharing of critical information to support the ACIC's partner agenciesAustralian Criminal Intelligence Commission explanatory memorandum
The Director-General must comply with recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The Minister must cause periodic reviews to be undertaken of this Act and the rules.Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission introduced bill text
Context
The bill sits in a longer shift from the old Australian Crime Commission model toward a national criminal intelligence agency. It also forms part of a package: the separate National Policing InformationCross-jurisdictional policing information systems and services that support police, intelligence and community safety functions. Charges Bill deals with charges for nationally coordinated criminal history checkA national criminal history check service provided through the ACIC and used for employment, volunteering, licensing and screening purposes. services, while this bill sets the main ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency. functions, powers, information-sharing rules and oversight architecture.
Existing Australian Crime Commission law
The explanatory memorandum says this bill would replace the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002The existing Commonwealth Act that the bill says it would replace., rather than merely amending it.
Explanatory memorandum ↗CrimTrac merger broadened the agency model
A local news source in the bundle reports that CrimTrac was to be merged into the Australian Crime Commission to form a larger national crime intelligence agency.
Australian Financial Review ↗Main ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency. reform bill introduced
The government introduced the bill to restate the ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency.'s functions, powers, information-sharing rules, staffing arrangements and oversight requirements.
Parliament of Australia ↗Charges bill introduced as part of the package
The companion charges bill deals with the charging framework for nationally coordinated criminal history checkA national criminal history check service provided through the ACIC and used for employment, volunteering, licensing and screening purposes. services and depends on the main ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency. bill's framework.
Explanatory memorandum for r7455 ↗Referred to intelligence committee
The source bundle records referral to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and SecurityThe Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, a parliamentary committee that the source bundle records as receiving the bill for inquiry..
Collected APH source note ↗Scrutiny committees considered the bill
The collected notes record consideration by the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights.
Collected APH source notes ↗Legislative route
The bill was presented in the House of Representatives.
Introduced and read a first time
Julian Hill moved the second reading and gave the minister's explanatory speech.
Second reading moved
The collected APH source notes record referral to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and SecurityThe Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, a parliamentary committee that the source bundle records as receiving the bill for inquiry..
Referred to committee
The bill was recorded as considered in Scrutiny Digest 6 of 2026.
Scrutiny committee consideration
The bill was recorded as considered in Report 5 of 2026.
Human rights committee consideration
Key criticism
The collected bundle does not include opposition speeches, amendments, divisions or committee findings setting out detailed criticism. The main caution visible in the available materials is the bill's rights and oversight sensitivity: it would give the ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency. coercive examination powers, controlled intelligence operationA proposed covert intelligence operation framework that can authorise specified unlawful conduct for intelligence collection, subject to legal limits and oversight. powers, search warrant powers and secrecy offences, so safeguards, reporting and independent oversight are central to the bill's design.
This is not a claim that the bill faced no criticism. It reflects the limited local bundle, which contains official explanatory material and the minister's speech but not passed text or detailed committee reports.
Intrusive intelligence powers
The bill would create or restate powers to compel information, conduct examinations, authorise controlled intelligence operations, issue search warrants and protect sensitive ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency. information through secrecy offences.
Rights and workplace limits
The statement of compatibility says some measures may limit rights, including privacy, fair-trial related interests, work-related rights and disability equality, while arguing those limits are necessary, reasonable and proportionate.
Further sources
Votes
No recorded votes have been found yet for this bill.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Julian Hill supports the bill as a fundamental reform of the ACICThe Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Commonwealth agency this bill would continue and recast as a national criminal intelligence agency..
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
1 speaker · 1 support
“The measures I've outlined in this bill deliver fundamental reforms to recast the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission as Australia's national criminal intelligence agency focused on countering serious and organised crime.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was presented in the House of Representatives.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
Julian Hill moved the second reading and gave the minister's explanatory speech.
House · Referred to committee
Referred to intelligence committee
The collected APH source notes record referral to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and SecurityThe Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, a parliamentary committee that the source bundle records as receiving the bill for inquiry..
Senate · Scrutiny committee consideration
Senate scrutiny committee considered it
The bill was recorded as considered in Scrutiny Digest 6 of 2026.
Commonwealth Parliament · Human rights committee consideration
Human rights committee considered it
The bill was recorded as considered in Report 5 of 2026.
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security
Referred
Referred for intelligence and security committee scrutiny.
The collected source bundle records that the bill was referred to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. No committee report text was included in the bundle used for this page.
Collected APH source noteSenate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills
Considered
Considered by the Senate scrutiny committee.
The source bundle records consideration in Scrutiny Digest 6 of 2026, but does not include the committee's detailed comments.
Collected APH source noteParliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights
Considered
Considered by the human rights committee.
The source bundle records consideration in Report 5 of 2026, but does not include the committee's detailed comments.
Collected APH source note