Social Services And Community Committee Reports On The Disability Support Services Bill – Social Services and Community Committee

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.

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.