News Journalism Payments (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2026

Summary

This legislation makes follow-on changes to Australian laws that were updated by the News Journalism Payments Bill 2026, which required tech platforms like Google and Facebook to negotiate payments with news organisations. These consequential amendments adjust other existing laws so they work properly alongside the new news payment scheme — fixing any conflicts or gaps that would otherwise occur when the main legislation takes effect. Without these follow-on changes, parts of related laws wouldn't operate correctly or could undermine the new system for supporting Australian news businesses. The amendments matter because they ensure the entire news payment framework functions smoothly across all relevant Australian legislation, rather than creating confusion or legal conflicts between different rules.

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