NDIS reform bill passes the Senate: what we actually know so far

Last night, the federal government's NDIS reform bill passed the Senate 28–12, after Labor secured Coalition support through 63 amendments. It still needs to pass the lower house, where it's expected to succeed given Labor's majority — so this isn't final yet, but it's close.

What's confirmed:

• New criminal and civil penalties for providers who offer or accept kickbacks
• Expanded whistleblower protections and greater NDIA enforcement power against unsafe or unethical providers
• An escalation pathway for participants needing 24-hour continuous care, protecting them from support cuts
• The ability to request variations to specific parts of a plan, including daily living assistance

What's not confirmed yet: the new eligibility model, which will assess functional capacity rather than diagnosis alone. Government has said detail will come well before its planned 1 January 2028 start. It's also flagged a goal of reducing participant numbers from roughly 760,000 to 600,000 by 2030 — how that plays out in practice isn't yet spelled out in the bill.

Worth knowing: this bill was strongly contested. Of more than 4,500 submissions to the Senate inquiry, the majority opposed it, and disability advocates and crossbenchers have argued the changes are moving "too far, too fast." We're not going to pretend that concern isn't real.

What we're doing: watching this through the lower house and reporting the eligibility detail as soon as it's actually confirmed — not before. If you want to know what this means for your NDIS plan, ask your support coordinator, plan manager, or the NDIA directly. We'll keep you updated as the picture gets clearer.