NDIS Bill Has Passed the Senate: What Happens Next?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 passed Parliament on 19 August 2026. The Governor-General signed the new laws on 20 August 2026, and the first changes will begin on 27 August 2026.

The laws change several parts of the NDIS at different times. This article explains what was originally proposed, what the Senate amendments clarified, what happens next, and what the confirmed changes may mean for NDIS participants.

What changes were originally proposed in the Bill?

The Bill proposed changes to how people access the NDIS, how plans are created and renewed, how some funding categories may be adjusted, how providers operate, how records and claims are managed, how fraud and non-compliance are addressed, and how maximum NDIS prices may be set. The NDIA's new laws overview summarises these broad areas of change.

Plan reassessments and variations

• Only the participant, plan nominee or child representative can request an unscheduled reassessment before the scheduled reassessment date.

• The request must relate to a significant and ongoing change in functional capacity and support needs, or in living, education, work or informal support arrangements.

• Participants can continue to request short-term or urgent changes through plan variations.

Record keeping and claims

• Participants must keep support and payment records for 3 years, nominees for 5 years, and providers for 7 years.

• From December 2026, a claim must be lodged no later than 90 days after the support was delivered.

Supports budgets and plan renewals

• The Bill allows support determinations to adjust funding in specified support categories when a plan is reassessed or renewed.

• From February 2027, plan renewals will replace plan continuations for many participants. When the previous plan ends, any remaining funding will not be transferred into the renewed plan.

Pricing, planning and access

• The Minister for Disability and the NDIS can make pricing determinations setting maximum amounts for NDIS supports. The NDIA says providers can continue following the current pricing arrangements for now.

• The NDIA will begin introducing a new way of planning from April 2027.

• Access changes begin from January 2028, including a standardised, evidence-based assessment of functional capacity for new applicants and more consistent consideration of permanence, treatment and compensation arrangements.

Provider and plan management arrangements

• Mandatory registration requirements will expand for some providers from July 2027.

From October 2027, the Government plans to establish a panel of plan management providers. The NDIS implementation timeline says participants will receive support to move to a provider on the panel during a six-month transition period. Some details, including how the panel will operate for individual participants, are still being developed.

If you would like more background on the current role of a plan manager, read First2Care's guide: What is NDIS Plan Management?

What amendments did the Senate make?

Following feedback from people with disability, families, advocates and organisations, the Government moved further amendments in the Senate on 18 August 2026. The Government's final changes fact sheet provides the detailed source for technical and enabling amendments summarised below.

Unscheduled reassessments

• A change in living, education, work or informal support arrangements does not need to be unexpected. A foreseeable change may support a reassessment request if it is significant and ongoing.

  
  

• The NDIA has 90 days to decide whether to reassess a plan. If no decision is made within 90 days, the request is treated as refused, allowing the participant to use review rights.

Reasonable and necessary supports

• The law clarifies what parents are ordinarily expected to provide, including supervision, personal care, transport, emotional support and behavioural support.

• Ordinary parental responsibility does not include the additional support a child needs because of disability compared with a child of a similar age without disability.

• The NDIA must also consider possible harm to informal supports, family relationships and informal networks if a support is not funded.

Functional capacity and treatment

• Common aids such as glasses, hearing aids and walking sticks can be used during a functional capacity assessment. Children can receive age-appropriate assistance.

• The laws do not force a person to undertake treatment. Appropriate treatment does not mean trying every possible treatment.

• Treatment that is unsuitable, carries significant risk or may cause serious long-term effects would not generally be expected. Restrictive practices do not count as appropriate treatment.

Support determinations and high support needs

• The amendments narrow the supports that can be covered by a support determination. They do not allow every part of a participant’s budget to be reset through one determination.

• The affected categories are social, civic and community participation and capacity building daily activities. Employment supports and disability-related health supports are excluded.

• The Government fact sheet also identifies protected areas including critical care, home and vehicle modifications, personal mobility equipment and transport, certain consumables and Specialist Disability Accommodation.

• Participants who require continuous 24-hour care will have a new plan variation pathway if a support determination affects their plan.

Compensation and existing participants

• Access changes concerning certain work-related injuries or motor vehicle accidents apply to people who apply from 1 January 2028.

• Existing participants continue under current arrangements, subject to continuing to meet the other eligibility criteria.

Plan management funding

• Participants who request plan management and are eligible will have plan management funding included in their plans, separate from the assessment of their disability-related support needs.

  
  

If plan management is not currently included in your plan, our How to Get Plan Management Added to Your NDIS Plan.

Debt recovery safeguards

• The NDIA must tell a participant or provider that a debt exists and explain why before deciding whether to recover it.

• Participants have 28 days to respond and providers have 14 days.

• The low-value debt waiver threshold increases from $200 to $500.

• Participants and providers may provide alternative evidence when records were not kept in the required format.

  
  

Fraud and Integrity changes

The Senate amendments also included measures relating to provider conduct, fraud and regulatory enforcement. These measures mainly concern provider conduct, record keeping, information supplied to the NDIA, nominee responsibilities and regulatory enforcement.

• Providers cannot offer kickbacks or inducements to influence a person to use, continue using or increase the use of their services.

• New offences cover false or misleading information, obtaining NDIS funds by deception, deliberately destroying records and misuse of a nominee position.

• Whistleblower protections are strengthened, and the NDIS Commission can take regulatory action through banning and anti-promotion orders.

What happens next?

The reforms are being introduced in stages. The confirmed dates below come from the NDIA's implementation timeline for the new laws.

• From 27 August 2026: Plan reassessments, record-keeping, pricing, information-gathering and automated administrative changes will begin.

• From October 2026: Support determinations begin to be applied progressively as plans are reassessed or renewed. The NDIA may also suspend a plan when a participant does not respond to information requests, but only after reasonable contact attempts.

• From December 2026: Claims must be submitted within 90 days of the support being delivered.

• From February 2027: Plan renewals and updated reasonable and necessary criteria begin.

• From April 2027. The NDIA begins introducing a new way of planning.

• From July 2027. Mandatory registration requirements expand for some providers.

• From October 2027. The plan management provider panel is established, followed by a six-month supported transition period.

• From January 2028. Access changes begin for new applicants, including the standardised functional capacity assessment. Existing participants will be reassessed over 3 years.

Further rules and implementation details are still being developed. The NDIA says it will provide more information before participants move to the new planning and access processes.

What does this mean for NDIS participants

Not every change will affect every participant, and the changes will begin at different times. For now, participants can continue using their current plans and supports as usual. If a confirmed change affects a participant, the NDIA says it will explain what is happening and when.

It is understandable to have questions about plan reassessments, record keeping, future plan renewals, support budgets, access requirements or plan management. Some details are not yet available, particularly around the new way of planning and the plan-management provider panel. Where information is still being developed, First2Care will not make assumptions.

The NDIA says ordinary changes made through the usual planning process are separate from the changes introduced by the new laws. A plan may still increase or decrease as a participant's needs and circumstances change.

The NDIA says people with permanent and significant disability will continue to be able to access the NDIS. Access changes for new applicants begin in January 2028.

How can you stay informed?

With the changes starting at different times, it may take time to understand which updates apply to you and your plan. Some implementation details are also still being developed.

The NDIA says it will contact participants if a confirmed change affects them and explain what is happening and when.

First2Care will continue to follow official updates and share confirmed information about what the changes may mean for your plan and budget.

If you have questions, you are welcome to contact our team at support@first2care.com.au or 1300 322 273. We are here to help you understand the changes that are relevant to you.