{"id":"C2026A00026","name":"Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2026","slug":"universities-accord-australian-tertiary-education-commission-consequential-and-transitional-provisio","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"26 of 2026","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":436463,"registerId":"C2026A00026-fast-fetch-1775953656113","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2026","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.png)\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nUniversities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2026\n\nNo. 26, 2026\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nAn Act to deal with consequential and transitional matters arising from the enactment of the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026, and for related purposes\n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1 Short title\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Schedules\n\nSchedule 1—Amendments\n\nHigher Education Support Act 2003\n\nTertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011\n\nSchedule 2—Application and transitional provisions\n\nPart 1—General provisions\n\nPart 2—Transitional rules\n\n \n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.002.png)\n\n \n\n \n\nUniversities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2026\n\nNo. 26, 2026\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nAn Act to deal with consequential and transitional matters arising from the enactment of the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026, and for related purposes\n\n[Assented to 1 April 2026]\n\nThe Parliament of Australia enacts:\n\n1  Short title\n\n  This Act is the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2026.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this Act At the same time as the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026 commences. 29 April 2026\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.\n\n3  Schedules\n\n  Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.\n\nSchedule 1—Amendments\n\n \n\nHigher Education Support Act 2003\n\n1  Section 19‑110\n\nRepeal the section, substitute:\n\n19‑110  Table A providers and Table B providers—compacts must be in force\n\n  A mission based compact, or a default mission based compact, under the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026, must be in force between the Australian Tertiary Education Commission and a higher education provider that is a *Table A provider or a *Table B provider in respect of each year for which a grant is paid to the provider under this Act for a period that includes that year.\n\nNote: For mission based compacts and default mission based compacts under the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026, see Part 3 of that Act.\n\n2  After paragraph 179‑15(2)(c)\n\nInsert:\n\n (ca) an ATEC Commissioner (within the meaning of the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026);\n\n3  After subparagraph 179‑15(4)(a)(iv)\n\nInsert:\n\n (iva) the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026; or\n\n4  After paragraph 238‑5(1)(aa)\n\nInsert:\n\n (ab) an ATEC Commissioner (within the meaning of the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026); or\n\nTertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011\n\n5  Section 4 (paragraph beginning “That quality framework”)\n\nOmit “Higher Education Standards Panel”, substitute “ATEC”.\n\n6  Section 5\n\nInsert:\n\nATEC means the Australian Tertiary Education Commission as established by the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026.\n\n7  Section 5 (paragraph (b) of the definition of entrusted person)\n\nRepeal the paragraph.\n\n8  Section 5\n\nRepeal the following definitions:\n\n (a) definition of Panel;\n\n (b) definition of Panel Chair;\n\n (c) definition of Panel member.\n\n9  Subsection 7(1)\n\nOmit “(1)”.\n\n10  Subsection 7(2)\n\nRepeal the subsection.\n\n11  Paragraphs 58(3)(a) and (4)(a)\n\nOmit “Panel”, substitute “ATEC”.\n\n12  Subparagraph 58(4)(b)(i)\n\nOmit “Panel”, substitute “ATEC”.\n\n13  At the end of Division 1 of Part 5\n\nAdd:\n\n58A  ATEC must advise and make recommendations etc.\n\n (1) The ATEC must:\n\n (a)  advise and make recommendations to the Minister:\n\n (i) on making and varying; and\n\n (ii) on other matters relating to;\n\n  the Higher Education Standards Framework, if requested by the Minister or on the ATEC’s own initiative; and\n\n (b) advise and make recommendations to TEQSA on matters relating to the Higher Education Standards Framework, if requested by TEQSA or on the ATEC’s own initiative.\n\n (2) Before advising and making recommendations to the Minister under paragraph (1)(a), the ATEC must consult with the following persons or bodies:\n\n (a) TEQSA;\n\n (b) the Minister for each relevant State and Territory responsible for higher education;\n\n (c) higher education provider representatives;\n\n (d) higher education student representatives;\n\n (e) any other person or body the ATEC considers necessary to consult.\n\n58B  ATEC to review Higher Education Standards Framework\n\n (1) The ATEC must review the standards that make up the Higher Education Standards Framework at least once every 5 years.\n\n (2) At least 30 days before the ATEC reviews the standards, the ATEC must give written notice of the proposed review to TEQSA.\n\n14  Subsection 60(2)\n\nOmit “Panel”, substitute “ATEC”.\n\n15  Paragraph 134(1)(h)\n\nRepeal the paragraph.\n\n16  Part 9\n\nRepeal the Part.\n\nSchedule 2—Application and transitional provisions\n\nPart 1—General provisions\n\n1  Transitional provision—mission based compacts\n\n(1) A mission based compact that was in force under section 19‑110 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 immediately before the commencement of this item continues in force (and may be dealt with) on and after that commencement as if it were a mission based compact under section 27 of the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026.\n\n(2) Subject to section 35 of the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026, the compact remains in force for the balance of the period specified in the compact for the compact to be in force (or in effect).\n\n2  Application provision—disclosure of information\n\n The amendments made by Schedule 1 to this Act of section 179‑15 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 apply in relation to the disclosure of personal information (within the meaning of the Higher Education Support Act 2003) and Higher Education Support Act information (within the meaning of that Act), on or after the commencement of this item, whether the information was obtained before, on or after that commencement.\n\nPart 2—Transitional rules\n\n3  Transitional rules\n\n(1) The Minister may, by legislative instrument, make rules prescribing matters:\n\n (a) required or permitted by this Act to be prescribed by the rules; or\n\n (b) necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act.\n\n(2) Without limiting subitem (1), the rules may prescribe matters of a transitional nature (including prescribing any saving or application provisions) relating to:\n\n (a) the amendments or repeals made by this Act; or\n\n (b) the enactment of the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026.\n\n(3) To avoid doubt, the rules may not do the following:\n\n (a) create an offence or civil penalty;\n\n (b) provide powers of:\n\n (i) arrest or detention; or\n\n (ii) entry, search or seizure;\n\n (c) impose a tax;\n\n (d) set an amount to be appropriated from the Consolidated Revenue Fund;\n\n (e) directly amend the text of this Act or the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026.\n\n(4) This Schedule (other than subitem (3)) does not limit the rules that may be made for the purposes of subitem (1).\n\n \n\n \n\n[Minister’s second reading speech made in—\n\nHouse of Representatives on 26 November 2025\n\nSenate on 3 March 2026]\n\n(105/25)\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"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 Act does not expand the substantive policy reach of the Universities Accord; it makes consequential and transitional adjustments to implement that Act. Key mechanics are substitution of ATEC for the Panel, conversion and preservation of existing mission‑based compacts as ATEC compacts, amended disclosure application from commencement, and delegated rule‑making for transition (see Schedule 1 item 1; Schedule 1 items 5–16; Schedule 2 items 1–3). These are implementation changes rather than an enlargement of scope."},"complexity_factors":["Cross‑Act consequential amendments: changes reach the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (Schedule 1 items 1–16), requiring synchronised interpretation and compliance.","Institutional substitution: replaces the Higher Education Standards Panel with ATEC, shifting advisory and review functions and definitions (Schedule 1 items 5–8, 11–14, new ss.58A–58B).","Funding conditionality: requires mission‑based compacts to be in force for any year a grant is paid, creating an ongoing compliance requirement for providers (Schedule 1 item 1; Schedule 2 Part 1 item 1).","Transitional rule‑making power: Minister may make legislative instruments for transitional matters, with explicit limits (Schedule 2 Part 2, item 3), creating delegated‑legislation complexity and implementation risk.","Retrospective/application effect: disclosure amendment applies to information obtained before or after commencement (Schedule 2 Part 1 item 2), raising data‑management and compliance burdens.","Repeals and removals: repeal of definitions and a whole Part in TEQSA Act (Schedule 1 items 8,15–16) requires re‑mapping obligations and may create interpretive gaps."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act makes consequential and transitional changes to give effect to the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026. Mechanically it replaces references to the Higher Education Standards Panel with the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC), requires mission‑based compacts to be in force for providers receiving grants, preserves existing compacts as ATEC compacts, and empowers the Minister to make limited transitional rules.\n\nIt affects higher‑education providers (they must hold compacts and meet amended disclosure rules), TEQSA and ATEC (new advisory and review tasks), and the Minister (rule‑making discretion). Who pays: providers; who decides: ATEC, TEQSA and the Minister; behaviour change: providers must maintain compacts to receive grants."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: consequential and transitional matters arising from the establishment of ATEC. It does not expand beyond technical amendments necessary to implement the main Universities Accord Act."},"complexity_factors":["Short length (16 substantive sections/items across 2 Schedules)","Most amendments are simple 'search and replace' operations swapping 'Panel' for 'ATEC' or inserting cross-references to the new Act","Only 2 defined terms introduced (ATEC, ATEC Commissioner)","Contains one nested consultation requirement (section 58A(2) lists 5 categories of consultees)","Includes a standard 'transitional rules' power with explicit limitations (subitem 3(3)) — common boilerplate","No complex conditional logic or exceptions to exceptions; straightforward transitional savings provision (item 1 of Schedule 2)"],"plain_english_summary":"This bill makes technical amendments so the new Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) can replace the old Higher Education Standards Panel and take over related roles in university funding, standards and information-sharing. It updates compacts, preserves existing agreements, and lets the Minister make limited transitional rules.\n\nIt chiefly affects universities, TEQSA and students by fixing the legal and administrative “plumbing” needed for the Universities Accord reforms to operate."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/universities-accord-australian-tertiary-education-commission-consequential-and-transitional-provisio","history":"/api/acts/universities-accord-australian-tertiary-education-commission-consequential-and-transitional-provisio/history","analysis":"/api/acts/universities-accord-australian-tertiary-education-commission-consequential-and-transitional-provisio/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/universities-accord-australian-tertiary-education-commission-consequential-and-transitional-provisio/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/universities-accord-australian-tertiary-education-commission-consequential-and-transitional-provisio/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/universities-accord-australian-tertiary-education-commission-consequential-and-transitional-provisio/documents"}}