{"id":"F2025L01623","name":"Statement of Principles concerning animal envenomation (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 2 of 2026)","slug":"statement-of-principles-concerning-animal-envenomation-balance-of-probabilities-no-2-of-2026","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":443101,"registerId":"F2025L01623-fast-fetch-1775958025594","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Statement of Principles concerning animal envenomation (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 2 of 2026)","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![RMA Australian Government Coat of Arms](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nStatement of Principles\n\nconcerning\n\nANIMAL ENVENOMATION  (Balance of Probabilities)\n\n(No. 2 of 2026)\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Statement of Principles under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n \n\nDated 19 December 2025\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nProfessor Terence Campbell AM\n\nChairperson\n\nby and on behalf of\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority\n\n \n\n   \n\n\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Repeal\n\n5 Application\n\n6 Definitions\n\n7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates\n\n8 Basis for determining the factors\n\n9 Factors that must exist\n\n10 Relationship to service\n\n11 Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles\n\nSchedule 1 - Dictionary\n\n1 Definitions\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n1.                Name\n\n\nThis is the Statement of Principles concerning animal envenomation (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 2 of 2026).\n\n1.                Commencement\n\n\n              This instrument commences on 19 January 2026.\n\n1.                Authority\n\n\nThis instrument is made under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n1.                Repeal\n\n\nThe Statement of Principles concerning animal envenomation (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 82 of 2016) (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2016L01666) made under subsection 196B(3) of the VEA is repealed.\n\n1.                Application\n\n\nThis instrument applies to a claim to which section 120B of the VEA or section 339 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies.\n\n1.                Definitions\n\n\nThe terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument.\n\n1.                Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates\n  1.           This Statement of Principles is about animal envenomation and death from animal envenomation.\n\n\nMeaning of animal envenomation\n\n1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles:\n  1.           animal envenomation means experiencing the toxic or hypersensitivity effects of contact with animal venom.\n2.           While animal envenomation attracts ICD-10-AM code T63, X20-X27, and X29, excluding specified and unspecified plants in X26 and X29, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of animal envenomation is that given in subsection (2).\n3.           For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2017, copyrighted by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, ISBN 978-1-76007-296-4.\n\n\nDeath from animal envenomation\n\n1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, animal envenomation, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's animal envenomation.\n\n\nNote: terminal event is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.\n\n1.                Basis for determining the factors\n\n\nOn the sound medical‑scientific evidence available, the Repatriation Medical Authority is of the view that it is more probable than not that animal envenomation and death from animal envenomation can be related to relevant service rendered by veterans or members of the Forces under the VEA, or members under the MRCA.\n\nNote: MRCA, relevant service and VEA are defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.\n\n1.                Factors that must exist\n\n\nAt least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, animal envenomation or death from animal envenomation is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:\n\n1.           having internal absorption of venom from a venomous animal, by means of a bite, sting or injection, within the 3 days before clinical onset;\n\n\nNote: venomous animal is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary. \n\n1.           having external contact with venom from a snake or scorpion, by means of spitting or spraying, at the time of clinical onset;\n2.           having internal absorption of venom from a tick of the family Ixodidae within the 12 days before clinical onset;\n3.           inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for animal envenomation before clinical worsening.\n\n\n1.            Relationship to service\n  1.           The existence in a person of any factor referred to in section 9, must be related to the relevant service rendered by the person.\n  2.           The clinical worsening aspect of factors set out in section 9 apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, animal envenomation where the person's animal envenomation was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person's relevant service.\n2.            Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles\n\n\nIn this Statement of Principles:\n\n1.           if a factor referred to in section 9 applies in relation to a person; and\n2.           that factor refers to an injury or disease in respect of which a Statement of Principles has been determined under subsection 196B(3) of the VEA;\n\n\nthen the factors in that Statement of Principles apply in accordance with the terms of that Statement of Principles as in force from time to time.\n\n \n\n \n\nSchedule 1 - Dictionary  \n\nNote:               See Section 6\n\n1               Definitions\n\nIn this instrument:\n\n                               animal envenomation—see subsection 7(2).\n\n                               MRCA means the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.\n\n                               relevant service means:\n\n(a)          eligible war service (other than operational service) under the VEA;\n\n(b)          defence service (other than hazardous service and British nuclear test defence service) under the VEA; or\n\n(c)          peacetime service under the MRCA.\n\nNote: MRCA and VEA are also defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.\n\n                               terminal event means the proximate or ultimate cause of death and includes the following:\n\n(a)           pneumonia;\n\n(b)           respiratory failure;\n\n(c)           cardiac arrest;\n\n(d)           circulatory failure; or\n\n(e)           cessation of brain function.\n\n                               VEA means the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n                               venomous animal means a member of the kingdom Animalia with specialised cells for the production of venom. Such organisms include:\n\n(a)          venomous annelids (e.g. bloodworms and leeches);\n\n(b)          venomous arachnids (e.g. spiders, scorpions, and ticks);\n\n(c)          venomous centipedes;\n\n(d)          venomous cnidarians (e.g. jellyfish, Portuguese man-of-war, sea anemones, and fire coral);\n\n(e)          venomous echinoderms (e.g. sea urchin and crown-of-thorns starfish);\n\n(f)           venomous fish (e.g. stonefish, catfish, lionfish, scorpionfish, toadfish, stingray, and dogfish shark);\n\n(g)          venomous frogs;\n\n(h)          venomous insects (e.g. bees, hornets, wasps, fire ants, and caterpillars);\n\n(i)            venomous mammals (e.g. platypus, shrews, solenodons, slow lorises, and vampire bats);\n\n(j)            venomous molluscs (e.g. cone snail and blue-ringed octopus); and\n\n(k)          venomous reptiles (e.g. land snakes, sea snakes, Gila monsters, and Mexican beaded lizards).\n\n                               This definition excludes animals with toxins distributed within their bodily tissues that cause toxic effects or death after ingestion.\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a straightforward re-enactment/replacement of the 2016 Statement of Principles (No. 82 of 2016). The scope remains limited to determining causation for animal envenomation claims under veterans' compensation law. No significant expansion beyond the original purpose is evident."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple cross-references to other Acts (VEA, MRCA) requiring external knowledge","Nested definitions: 'animal envenomation' defined by reference to ICD-10-AM codes, then overridden by a custom definition","Conditional logic in section 9 with four alternative factors requiring different timeframes (3 days, 12 days, 'at the time', and no timeframe)","Exception to the definition of venomous animal excluding ingested toxins","Interaction clause in section 11 requiring coordination with other Statements of Principles","Dual application framework covering two different compensation schemes (VEA and MRCA) with different service categories"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets when Australian veterans and current/former defence personnel can get compensation for illnesses or deaths from animal envenomation under the VEA and MRCA. It says an envenomation is service-related on the balance of probabilities if it fits certain timing/ exposure scenarios (bite/sting/injection within days, sprayed venom to eyes/skin, Ixodidae tick bite, or lack of timely treatment).\n\nIt defines a broad list of venomous animals (snakes, spiders, jellyfish, bees, platypus, etc.), so many wildlife injuries can be compensable."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument expressly repeals the 2016 Statement and reissues a Statement of Principles that defines animal envenomation, includes death from envenomation, and lists the factors tying envenomation to relevant service (see Repeal, sections 7–9, Schedule 1). The source text does not state or demonstrate a narrowing or expansion of coverage relative to the 2016 instrument, so no change of scope can be determined from this instrument alone."},"complexity_factors":["Statutory cross-references and administrative origin: made under s196B(3) of the VEA and applies to claims under s120B (VEA) and s339 (MRCA) (see Authority, Application sections).","Technical medical thresholds: time-limited causal windows (internal absorption within 3 days; tick absorption within 12 days) require clinical timing evidence (section 9).","Broad biological definition: a wide list of organisms classified as 'venomous animal' in Schedule 1 expands possible exposures and diagnostic complexity.","Inclusion of death via terminal events: death from envenomation is captured when a terminal event was contributed to by envenomation (section 7).","Interplay with other Statements of Principles: cross-application where factors overlap with other SoPs creates dependency on other instruments (section 11).","Reference to ICD-10-AM codes for classification (section 7(3)) adds diagnostic coding reliance.","Burden and standard of proof: application on the balance of probabilities and RMA’s evidentiary view (section 8) requires adjudication of medical-scientific evidence.","Repeal and replacement of prior instrument increases transition/interpretation tasks for decision-makers and claimants (Repeal section)."],"plain_english_summary":"This Statement of Principles, issued by the Repatriation Medical Authority, replaces the 2016 instrument and sets the legal test for linking animal envenomation (including death) to a person’s service for claims under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. It defines “animal envenomation” and “venomous animal” and lists specific, time‑bounded medical factors (for example internal venom absorption within 3 days, tick venom within 12 days, external venom contact, or inability to obtain appropriate clinical management) that must be met on the balance of probabilities."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-animal-envenomation-balance-of-probabilities-no-2-of-2026","history":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-animal-envenomation-balance-of-probabilities-no-2-of-2026/history","analysis":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-animal-envenomation-balance-of-probabilities-no-2-of-2026/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-animal-envenomation-balance-of-probabilities-no-2-of-2026/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-animal-envenomation-balance-of-probabilities-no-2-of-2026/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-animal-envenomation-balance-of-probabilities-no-2-of-2026/documents"}}