# Documents to be laid before Parliament

> act-s198AC — as in force on 2026-06-04 — C2026C00232 · Compilation No. 171 — https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2026C00232/latest/text

198AC Documents to be laid before Parliament
          (1) This section applies if the Minister designates a country to be a
              regional processing country under subsection 198AB(1).
          (2) The Minister must cause to be laid before each House of the
              Parliament:
               (a) a copy of the designation; and
               (b) a statement of the Minister’s reasons for thinking it is in the
                    national interest to designate the country to be a regional
                    processing country, referring in particular to any assurances
                    of a kind referred to in paragraph 198AB(3)(a) that have been
                    given by the country; and
               (c) a copy of any written agreement between Australia and the
                    country relating to the taking of persons to the country; and
               (d) a statement about the Minister’s consultations with the Office
                    of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in
                    relation to the designation, including the nature of those
                    consultations; and
               (e) a summary of any advice received from that Office in
                    relation to the designation; and










                  (f) a statement about any arrangements that are in place, or are
                      to be put in place, in the country for the treatment of persons
                      taken to the country.
          (3) The Minister must comply with subsection (2) within 2 sitting days
              of each House of the Parliament after the day on which the
              designation is made.
          (4) The sole purpose of laying the documents referred to in
              subsection (2) before the Parliament is to inform the Parliament of
              the matters referred to in the documents and nothing in the
              documents affects the validity of the designation. Similarly, the
              fact that some or all of those documents do not exist does not affect
              the validity of the designation.
          (5) A failure to comply with this section does not affect the validity of
              the designation.
          (6) In this section, agreement includes an agreement, arrangement or
              understanding:
                (a) whether or not it is legally binding; and
                (b) whether it is made before, on or after the commencement of
                    this section.