The Disability and Social Services Regulation Amendment Act 2023 became law in Victoria on 23 May 2023.
The Act amends several existing Acts. The amendments improve safeguards, rights and protections for Victorians with disability.
These include:
The Disability Act 2006
- to strengthen and address gaps in safeguarding provisions including
- restrictive practices and compulsory treatment,
- residential rights and
- information sharing.
- to remove unintended regulatory burdens and operational difficulties
The Residential Tenancies Act 1997
- to ensure residential rights protections for people living in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
The Disability Service Safeguards Act 2018
- support efficient disability worker screening. This will reduce duplicative requirements for criminal history checks.
The Social Services Regulation Act 2021
- to ensure the scheme operates as intended
The Disability and Social Services Regulation Amendment Act 2023 was developed as part of stage two of the Disability Act Review and has been informed by consultation with people with disability, community and sector stakeholders, and across government.