Treasury Laws Amendment (The Survivors Law) Bill 2026; Third Reading

Summary

Victims and survivors of child sexual abuse can now access a perpetrator's superannuation savings to pay court-ordered compensation, even if those savings were deliberately hidden to avoid paying the victim. The law creates a process where survivors apply to the Australian Taxation Office for information about the offender's superannuation contributions made in the 10 years before the abuse started, then ask a court to order the release of those funds up to the amount owed. It also amends the Bankruptcy Act so that compensation debts survive if the perpetrator goes bankrupt, preventing them from erasing what they owe through bankruptcy. This addresses a serious problem where convicted abusers have deliberately stashed millions in superannuation accounts to escape paying compensation to their victims, adding further harm to already vulnerable people.

What happens at this stage

The final vote in this chamber on the bill as a whole, after all amendments have been considered. If it passes, the bill moves to the other chamber to go through the same process. If both chambers have already agreed to identical text, the bill proceeds directly to Royal Assent.

Next: The other chamber, which runs the same process from First Reading, or Royal Assent if both chambers have already agreed