WA Denied Working with Children Checks Interstate Mean No WWC in WA Either; And Vice Versa

Working with Children (Screening) Amendment Bill 2025

19 Aug 2026: Passed by Parliament and signed off by the governor.

This bill kicks in: TBA

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Assent

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Topics

background checks child safety employment screening national reference system working with children

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Communities must share information with the Australian Crime Commission for the WWC national reference system.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Communities must check the national reference system for adverse interstate decisions before finalizing certain actions.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Communities can issue an assessment notice as the first notice if an adverse interstate decision exists.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Communities must cancel or substitute a negative notice if an adverse interstate decision is found.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Communities must cancel an assessment notice if they become aware that the person holding it is subject to an adverse interstate Working with Children Check decision.
People applying for assessment notices can now withdraw their applications.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Matthew Swinbourn ALP

“I move: That the bill be now read a second time. The Working With Children (Screening) Amendment Bill 2025 is a further step in implementing recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and will help keep children safe. In 2015, the royal commission published its Working with Children Checks Report.”

Official source →

Jessica Stojkovski ALP

“I move: That the bill be now read a second time. The Working With Children (Screening) Amendment Bill 2025 is a further step in implementing recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and will help keep children safe. In 2015, the royal commission published its Working with Children Checks Report.”

Official source →