Redress System for Abuse in Care Bill
This bill sets up rules for people who were abused while in government care — like in state homes, psychiatric hospitals, or youth institutions — and want to receive money or other support. It says that people who have been convicted of serious violent or sexual crimes and given a prison sentence of five or more years normally cannot get a financial payment. A special official called a 'redress officer' can decide exceptions. The bill also says that if an organisation apologises for abuse, that apology cannot be used against them in court.
What this affects
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People convicted of serious violent or sexual crimes and given five or more years in prison are normally blocked from receiving money through the abuse-in-care system, but a special officer can make exceptions.
A serious violent or sexual offender is not eligible for financial redress under a redress scheme unless the redress officer appointed under section 10 determines under section 19 that financial redress should be made available to the person.
The redress officer may determine that financial redress should be made available to a serious violent or sexual offender only if satisfied that the payment of financial redress to that person would not bring the redress scheme into disrepute or adversely affect public confidence in the redress scheme.
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Social Services and Community Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 25 November 2025.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.