This bill is currently before Parliament.
Law, justice & rights
The bill creates a single statutory Public and Educational Lending Rights SchemeThe new statutory scheme the minister must make by legislative instrument. It will cover claims, eligibility, payment amounts, decisions and related administration. for payments to Australian creators and publishers whose books are held in public or educational lending libraries.
The bill was introduced to modernise Australia’s lending-rights framework. The explanatory memorandum says the Public Lending RightA Commonwealth scheme that pays eligible Australian creators and publishers when their books are held in public lending libraries. scheme had a statutory base, while Educational Lending RightA related scheme for books held in educational lending libraries. The bill gives this scheme a statutory basis within the new combined framework. had operated under executive authority. The bill brings both schemes into one legislative framework, keeps ebooks and audiobooks in scope after the ReviveThe national cultural policy cited in the explanatory memorandum as the source of the digital-lending expansion and related funding commitments. expansion, and gives the department, committeeThe seven-member statutory committee established by the bill to perform scheme functions, advise the minister and secretary, and recommend improvements. and review processes clearer statutory roles.
Public lending rights have been part of Australian cultural policy since the 1970s: they recognise that free library access can reduce income from copyright and that creators and publishers should still be paid when books are widely borrowed. This bill updates that system for a publishing market where educational lending rights, ebooks and audiobooks are central. It passed both houses unchanged after debate in which government speakers framed it as cultural support and Coalition speakers supported the framework while stressing that it did not add new funding.
The bill did not face substantive opposition in the collected debate: Coalition speakers said they would support it and described it as sensible or non-controversial. The main criticism was about scope. Opposition speakers argued that, despite the title, the bill does not increase funding, does not change payment calculations, and mainly delivers administrative certainty rather than a direct income rise for authors.
Tony Burke MP introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from Labor, Liberal Party.
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
No final vote yet
The bill has not yet completed passage through Parliament.
Days since introduction
70 days
Updated 10 June 2026.
Meaning
The bill creates a single statutory Public and Educational Lending Rights SchemeThe new statutory scheme the minister must make by legislative instrument. It will cover claims, eligibility, payment amounts, decisions and related administration. for payments to Australian creators and publishers whose books are held in public or educational lending libraries.
It replaces the Public Lending RightA Commonwealth scheme that pays eligible Australian creators and publishers when their books are held in public lending libraries. Act 1985 and brings the Educational Lending RightA related scheme for books held in educational lending libraries. The bill gives this scheme a statutory basis within the new combined framework. scheme into legislation, rather than leaving it only as an executive program.
The definition of book includes ebooks and audiobooks, so the schemeThe new statutory scheme the minister must make by legislative instrument. It will cover claims, eligibility, payment amounts, decisions and related administration. can cover digital lending as well as physical books.
The minister must make the detailed scheme by legislative instrumentA form of delegated legislation. The detailed scheme would be made this way and would generally be subject to parliamentary tabling and disallowance rules., including rules for claims, eligibility, payment amounts, information requirements and decisions by the department secretary.
The bill establishes a seven-member Public and Educational Lending Rights CommitteeThe seven-member statutory committee established by the bill to perform scheme functions, advise the minister and secretary, and recommend improvements., with creator, publisher, library, copyright-department and National Library representation, to advise on the schemeThe new statutory scheme the minister must make by legislative instrument. It will cover claims, eligibility, payment amounts, decisions and related administration. and recommend improvements.
The explanatory memorandum says the bill is not expected to add extra financial impact; it consolidates existing schemes and gives educational lending rights an ongoing statutory basis.
The object of this Act is to establish a statutory scheme (the Public and Educational Lending Rights Scheme) for the purposes of: (a) making payments to Australian creators of books, and to Australian publishers of books in AustraliaAs-passed bill text
This Bill continues the modernisation of the Commonwealth’s lending rights framework by establishing a new legislative framework that includes legislating for the Educational Lending Right scheme. This Bill replaces the existing Public Lending Right Act 1985 and the associated Public Lending Right scheme.Explanatory memorandum
book: (a) includes an ebook, an audiobook and any other thing prescribed by the rules for the purposes of this paragraphAs-passed bill text
The scheme may make provision for and in relation to one or more of the following: (a) the making of claims to the Secretary ... (d) the eligibility criteria ... (i) the amounts of payments, or a method for working out the amounts of paymentsAs-passed bill text
The Bill establishes a seven-member statutory Committee to perform functions conferred under the Scheme, advise the Minister and Secretary on its operation, and recommend improvements. Membership includes representatives of authors, publishers and libraries, as well as two APS officialsExplanatory memorandum
The Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Bill 2026 is not expected to impose any additional financial impact as it consolidates two existing schemes into a single legislative frameworkExplanatory memorandum
Context
Public lending rights have been part of Australian cultural policy since the 1970s: they recognise that free library access can reduce income from copyright and that creators and publishers should still be paid when books are widely borrowed. This bill updates that system for a publishing market where educational lending rights, ebooks and audiobooks are central. It passed both houses unchanged after debate in which government speakers framed it as cultural support and Coalition speakers supported the framework while stressing that it did not add new funding.
Public Lending RightA Commonwealth scheme that pays eligible Australian creators and publishers when their books are held in public lending libraries. begins
The explanatory memorandum and minister speech say the Public Lending RightA Commonwealth scheme that pays eligible Australian creators and publishers when their books are held in public lending libraries. scheme was originally established in 1974 to compensate Australian creators and publishers for library lending.
Explanatory memorandum and second reading speech ↗Educational Lending RightA related scheme for books held in educational lending libraries. The bill gives this scheme a statutory basis within the new combined framework. introduced
The explanatory memorandum says the Educational Lending RightA related scheme for books held in educational lending libraries. The bill gives this scheme a statutory basis within the new combined framework. scheme was introduced in 2000 through executive authority, rather than under its own statutory framework.
Explanatory memorandum ↗ReviveThe national cultural policy cited in the explanatory memorandum as the source of the digital-lending expansion and related funding commitments. expands lending rights to digital formatsDigital book formats expressly included in the bill’s definition of book, unless excluded by rules.
The explanatory memorandum says the National Cultural PolicyThe national cultural policy cited in the explanatory memorandum as the source of the digital-lending expansion and related funding commitments., ReviveThe national cultural policy cited in the explanatory memorandum as the source of the digital-lending expansion and related funding commitments., expanded both schemes to include ebooks and audiobooks and committed $12.9 million over four years from 2023-24 plus ongoing indexed funding.
Explanatory memorandum ↗More than $28.1 million paid through the schemes
The explanatory memorandum says nearly 17,500 eligible claimants received more than $28.1 million across Public Lending Rights and Educational Lending Rights payments.
Explanatory memorandum ↗Bill introduced in the House
Tony Burke introduced the bill and described it as a single contemporary framework replacing the Public Lending RightA Commonwealth scheme that pays eligible Australian creators and publishers when their books are held in public lending libraries. Act 1985.
Parliamentary timeline and second reading speech ↗House passes the bill without amendment
After House and Federation Chamber debate, the bill was reported without amendment and agreed at third reading.
Parliamentary timeline and House debate ↗Senate passes the bill
The Senate introduced, debated and passed the bill, completing passage through both houses in the same form.
Parliamentary timeline and Senate debate ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Referred to Federation Chamber
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Reported from Federation Chamber
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Finally passed both Houses
Key criticism
The bill did not face substantive opposition in the collected debate: Coalition speakers said they would support it and described it as sensible or non-controversial. The main criticism was about scope. Opposition speakers argued that, despite the title, the bill does not increase funding, does not change payment calculations, and mainly delivers administrative certainty rather than a direct income rise for authors.
This reflects the local source bundle: explanatory materials, the as-passed text, House and Senate speeches, and the APH timeline. No divisions, proposed amendments or committeeThe seven-member statutory committee established by the bill to perform scheme functions, advise the minister and secretary, and recommend improvements. dissent were collected for this bill.
Title may overstate the direct income effect
Angie Bell and Susan McDonald both supported the bill but argued that the phrase "Better Income for Authors" could mislead readers because the bill does not itself increase compensation or change the payment formula.
No new funding attached to the bill
Coalition speakers said the funding pool remained fixed and that the $12.9 million digital-lending funding had already been flowing since 2024-25, rather than being new money attached to this bill.
Governance reform is not enough on its own
Opposition speeches said authors still face rising costs, changing publishing models and global digital competition, so stronger funding and broader policy settings remain live issues even though the bill was supported.
Further sources
Votes
No recorded votes have been found yet for this bill.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Tony Burke presents the bill as a modernised statutory framework for paying Australian creators and publishers when books are freely available through public and educational libraries.
Read in Hansard ↗Mary Aldred supports the bill and frames lending rights as a balance between free library access and fair recognition for creators.
Read in Hansard ↗Carina Garland supports the bill as a fair balance between public access to books and payment for the people who create them.
Read in Hansard ↗Tom French supports the bill as recognition that borrowed Australian books still represent creative labour.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
12 speakers · 12 support
“This legislation is fairly balanced in recognising the importance of public access to books and the importance of properly supporting the people who create them.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill is about a simple proposition: when Australian books are made freely available through public and educational libraries, the people who created and published those books should receive fair recognition”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I'm really glad to be able to make some remarks in support of the Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Bill 2026”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This legislation is not about choosing between libraries and authors. We need both.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Every time that book was borrowed from a public library, the author got nothing. Zero. The library bought one copy, maybe two, and then it went out the door hundreds of times, and the person who wrote it never saw a cent from all of those borrowings.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“the important thing is that a lot of what Prime Minister Whitlam undertook survived to this day”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Australia's lending rights schemes have fallen out of date and urgently require an upgrade”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This legislation is also about recognising that creative work has economic value.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I rise in support of the Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Bill 2026 and the associated bill.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I rise to make my contribution to the Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Bill 2026. The library is a home for many”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“E-books and audiobooks are now a normal part of library collections, and it is only right that creators are recognised and compensated for their use in these formats as well.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“It brings together the Public Lending Right and Educational Lending Right schemes into a single, contemporary legislative framework, replacing the Public Lending Right Act 1985 and ensuring these vital programs remain fit for purpose.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
3 speakers · 1 support · 2 mixed
“While Australians rightly value free access to books, we must also recognise the work of the people who create them.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Despite its title, 'better income for authors', this bill does not actually increase the amount of compensation paid to authors or publishers.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“They do not increase funding, they do not change payment calculations and they do not, on their own, deliver better income for authors.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Referred to Federation Chamber
Referred to Federation Chamber
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
House · Reported from Federation Chamber
Reported from Federation Chamber
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Senate · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Senate · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Parliament · Finally passed both Houses
Passed both houses
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
