Source: New Zealand Parliament
The committee is particularly interested in what people think about what this bill would do, and how it could be improved.
This omnibus bill would make legislative changes to improve safety and wellbeing for children, young people, and adults in care, in response to the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions. The bill would amend the:
- Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, to authorise universal searches on entry to secure youth justice residences, search plans to be made with children and young people in all secure residences, repeal the ability to undertake strip searches, and clarify the length of time for secure care prior to judicial oversight
- Children’s Act 2014, to extend the existing workforce restriction on core children’s workers to include convictions for overseas offences equivalent to specified New Zealand offences, and to include offences against children and young people under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 in the list of specified offences
- Crimes Act 1961, to explicitly include disability in the definition of a vulnerable adult
- Public Records Act 2005, to enable earlier re-audit of agencies identified as having low information management maturity, create an ability to require an action plan and time-bound correction of non-compliance, and make clear that Archives New Zealand may undertake its own audits.
What do you need to know?
Written submissions
- Submissions are publicly released and published to the Parliament website. Only your name or organisation’s name is required on a submission. Please keep your contact details separate, as if they are included on the submission they will become publicly available when the submission is released.
- If you wish to include information of a private or personal nature in your submission please contact committee staff to discuss your options before you submit.
- If you wish to speak to the committee about your submission, please state this clearly.
Oral submissions
- The initial indicative dates for hearing submissions are Wednesday 18 December 2024 and Friday 20 December 2024.
- The committee will consider travelling to hear oral submissions.
- Oral submissions will be booked closer to the indicative hearing dates once written submissions have been received.
Arranging additional accessibility and support needs
- The committee recognises that people may need additional support to engage in the submissions process.
- Please contact the secretariat to discuss support needs including but not limited to; New Zealand Sign Language interpretation and physical accessibility support.
If you have any questions about your submission or the submission process, please contact the committee staff through the contact details provided on this page.
Tell the Social Services and Community Committee what you think
Make a submission on the bill by 11.59pm on 11 December 2024.
For more details about the bill:
ENDS
For media enquiries contact:
Social Services and Community Committee staff
ssc.legislation@parliament.govt.nz
