Telecommunications Sector Security Reforms (TSSR): Finally to become law?

On 30 June 2017, the Australian Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) released its report on the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2016 (TSSR Bill). The PJCIS recommended that the TSSR Bill, which will implement the telecommunications sector security reforms announced by the Government in mid-2015, should be passed, albeit with amendments. The amendments and other additional steps recommended by the PJCIS in its June 2017 report are intended to address industry concerns that the proposed legislation is vague, would be difficult to interpret and costly to comply with. Given the PJCIS has supported the TSSR Bill it seems likely that it will be passed in 2017, noting it will be subject to a 12 month implementation period.