The Social Services and Community Committee has
considered the Disability Support Services Bill. The
committee published its final report on Thursday, 13 August
2026. The report is available online
on the Parliament website.
The committee has
recommended by majority that the bill be passed. The
committee recommended, by majority, that several changes be
made to the bill.
The bill would set up a legislative
framework for disability support services for the first
time. Disability support services are provided to eligible
disabled persons. Funding is administered by the Ministry of
Social Development.
The committee received submissions
from 3,382 people and groups. They held hearings to discuss
the bill with 143 submitters online and in Wellington. The
bill has had a high level of public interest. The committee
would like to thank all submitters for their
engagement.
The Ministry of Social Development gave
advice to the committee and analysed all submissions. The
ministry’s advice and summary of submissions is available
online
on the Parliament website.
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The committee
recommended some changes to the bill. These
include:
- adding new principles that
decision-makers must take into account, including an
eligible disabled person’s choices and preferences, and
safety and dignity - changing the bill’s wording
around families’ responsibilities, to better reflect the
diversity of disabled people’s lives and make clear that
there are no new obligations for adult disabled people to
seek resources from families - introducing a mandatory
review of the law within 5 years of it coming into
effect - allowing disability support programmes
approved by the Minister to set out ways in which services
will be provided under that programme - requiring the
Minister to take outcomes for disabled persons into account
before establishing a disability support services
programme - requiring the Minister to consult with
representatives of disabled people when establishing or
changing a disability support services
programme - setting out how employment law applies to
families providing disability support - clarifying the
definitions in the bill for “disability support
services” and “DSS-funded disability support
services”.
Parliament will now consider and
debate the bill further. Information about the bill,
including what stage or debate it is up to is available online
on the Parliament website.
This media release has
been published in Audio, Braille, New Zealand Sign Language,
Large Print, and Easy Read on the
Parliament website.
For more
information:
