# Findings Report — Prompt 14: Select Committee Activity Scan **Date:** 8 June 2026, 14:00 NZST **Prompt:** #14 — Select Committee Activity **Category:** Parliamentary **Status:** Complete --- ## What Was Searched - Health Committee homepage and reports tab (54th Parliament) - Social Services and Community Committee homepage and reports tab - Finance and Expenditure Committee homepage and reports tab - Governance and Administration Committee homepage - Committee press releases page (parliament.nz) - Targeted web searches for committee activity related to older people, seniors, aged care, dementia, superannuation, and disability support - Searched multiple committee business listings for current inquiries, briefings, and bills ## What Was Found ### 1. Health Committee (Chair: Sam Uffindell, National — 9 members) **Active — Open for submissions:** - **Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill** — submissions close 16 June 2026 - **Gene Technology Bill** — submissions currently being accepted **Recent seniors-relevant briefings received:** - **Briefing on young/early-onset dementia** (received ~4 March 2026) — important intersection of dementia care and aged care capacity - **Briefing on menopause education and awareness** (24 April 2026) — impacts older women's health - **Briefing from the Ovarian Cancer Foundation New Zealand** (25 March 2026) **Recent annual reviews completed (2024/25 financial year):** - Ministry of Health (30 March 2026) - Health New Zealand — Te Whatu Ora and New Zealand Health Plan (30 March 2026) - Health Quality and Safety Commission (17 March 2026) - PHARMAC (5 March 2026) - Cancer Control Agency review briefing (20 February 2026) **Already completed (from earlier prompt):** - Inquiry into aged care sector capacity — report containing 14 recommendations presented to House ### 2. Social Services and Community Committee (Chair: Joseph Mooney, National — 8 members) **Active — Open for submissions:** | Bill | Closing Date | Relevance to Seniors | |------|-------------|---------------------| | **Disability Support Services Bill** | **12 June 2026** | **HIGH** — Creates legislative framework for disability support services. Many older people rely on these services. Introduced 18 May 2026. | | Social Security (Jobseeker Support and Accommodation Supplement) Amendment Bill | 10 June 2026 | Medium — affects working-age benefit rules | | Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill | 19 June 2026 | Low | | Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill | 2 July 2026 | Low | **Recent reports/items completed:** - **Ministry of Social Development 2024/25 Annual Review** (12 March 2026) — MSD administers NZ Super, pensions, and other seniors benefits - **Ministry of Housing and Urban Development 2024/25 Annual Review** (12 March 2026) — covers social housing, which many seniors rely on - **Ministry of Disabled People 2024/25 Annual Review** (27 March 2026) - **Kāinga Ora — Homes and Communities 2024/25 Annual Review** (30 March 2026) - **Redress System for Abuse in Care Bill** (Reported 13 March 2026, now at committee stage in House — last debated 13 May 2026) — includes people abused in state care, relevant to older survivors - **Ministry for Pacific Peoples Long-Term Insights Briefing 2025** (20 May 2026) ### 3. Finance and Expenditure Committee (Chair: Ryan Hamilton, National — 11 members) **Open for submissions:** - Fair Trading Amendment Bill (closes 16 July 2026) — consumer protections relevant to older people **Recent seniors-relevant items:** - **Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation 2024/25 Annual Review** (30 March 2026) — **HIGH relevance**. The committee scrutinised the NZ Super Fund's annual report 2025. This is the fund that helps prefund NZ Super liabilities. - **Budget Policy Statement 2026** (6 March 2026) — sets fiscal framework for Budget 2026 decisions affecting seniors - **Inquiry into performance reporting and public accountability** (ongoing since 2025, Phase 2 to May 2026) — affects how public entities report on services to seniors - **Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Statement February 2026** (24 April 2026) — interest rate settings affect retirement incomes - **Financial Statements of the Government for year ended 30 June 2025** (5 March 2026) ### 4. Governance and Administration Committee - **Better Regional Boundaries Bill** — open for submissions until 24 June 2026 (low direct relevance) - **Inquiry into Fire and Emergency NZ fleet management** — ongoing (low direct relevance) - Emergency Management Bill No. 2 (submissions previously closed) ### 5. Education and Workforce Committee - **Inquiry into online harm to young people** — final report released 5 March 2026 (not seniors-related) - Recent work focused on employment relations bills, immigration matters ### 6. Justice Committee - **Summary Offences (Move-on Orders) Amendment Bill** — submissions open 22 May 2026 - Public Finance (Prohibition on Providing Public Funds to Gangs) Amendment Bill --- ## Key Findings for Seniors Knowledge Base ### 🔴 URGENT: Disability Support Services Bill **Priority: High — Action recommended before 12 June 2026 submission deadline** The **Disability Support Services Bill** was introduced to Parliament on **18 May 2026** by Minister Louise Upston. It creates a new legislative framework for disability support services in New Zealand. Submissions close **1pm Friday 12 June 2026** — only 4 days from now. - **Why it matters for seniors:** Many older New Zealanders receive disability support services. The bill establishes eligibility criteria, funding mechanisms, and service standards that will directly affect older people with disabilities. - **Source:** https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/committees-press-releases/have-your-say-on-the-disability-support-services-bill/ (accessed 8 June 2026) - **Legislation:** https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2026/312/en/latest/ (accessed 8 June 2026) - **Factsheet:** https://www.disabilitysupport.govt.nz/improving-dss/dss-bill/factsheet (accessed 8 June 2026) ### 🟠 Guardians of NZ Superannuation Annual Review The Finance and Expenditure Committee reviewed the Guardians of NZ Superannuation on **30 March 2026** as part of the 2024/25 annual review cycle. The NZ Super Fund's 2025 annual report shows the Fund's investment performance and financial position. - **Implication:** The Super Fund's performance directly affects the government's ability to meet future NZ Super obligations without tax increases. - **Source:** https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/finance-and-expenditure/tab/report (accessed 8 June 2026) ### 🟠 Briefing on Young/Early-Onset Dementia The Health Committee received a **briefing on young/early-onset dementia** (circa February/March 2026). This was raised by community advocates who noted that young-onset dementia was identified as a gap area in the Aged Care Inquiry. - **Implication:** The committee is aware of dementia care gaps that extend beyond the standard aged care framework. This could lead to future policy recommendations. - **Source:** https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/health/ (accessed 8 June 2026) ### 🟢 Briefing on Menopause Education and Awareness The Health Committee received a briefing on menopause education and awareness on **24 April 2026**. While not exclusively a seniors issue, menopause education affects older women's health and well-being. - **Source:** https://www3.parliament.nz/mi/pb/sc/scl/health/tab/report (accessed 8 June 2026) ### 🟢 Redress System for Abuse in Care Bill Progress The Redress System for Abuse in Care Bill was reported back from the Social Services and Community Committee on **13 March 2026** and was debated at committee stage on **13 May 2026**. This bill creates a Redress system for people abused in state care, including older people in aged care facilities. - **Source:** https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/daily-progress-in-the-house/daily-progress-for-wednesday-13-may-2026/ (accessed 8 June 2026) --- ## KB ACTION ### Files to Create 1. **`17_Automated_Research\Captures\2026-06-08 Parliament - Disability Support Services Bill.md`** — Web capture of the bill factsheet and press release 2. **`17_Automated_Research\Captures\2026-06-08 Parliament - Committee Press Releases.md`** — Web capture of recent committee press releases ### Files to Update 1. **`17_Automated_Research\01_PROMPT_REGISTRY.md`** — Mark Prompt 14 as DONE ✅ 2. **`05_Funding/10_Trackers/NZ_Super_Fund_Progress.md`** — Add note about Guardians of NZ Super 2024/25 annual review by FEC on 30 March 2026 3. **`16 Political/07 Trackers/Select_Committee_Tracker.md`** — Update with current committee activities and bills before each committee 4. **`16 Political/07 Trackers/Seniors_Relevant_Bills.md`** — Add Disability Support Services Bill, note urgent submission deadline --- ## Sources | Source | URL | Date Accessed | | --------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- | | Health Committee homepage | https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/health/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | Social Services and Community Committee | https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/social-services-and-community/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | Finance and Expenditure Committee | https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/finance-and-expenditure/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | Committee Press Releases | https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/committees-press-releases/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | DSS Bill Factsheet | https://www.disabilitysupport.govt.nz/improving-dss/dss-bill/factsheet | 8 Jun 2026 | | DSS Bill Legislation | https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2026/312/en/latest/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | DSS Bill Press Release | https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/committees-press-releases/have-your-say-on-the-disability-support-services-bill/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | Daily Progress 13 May 2026 | https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/daily-progress-in-the-house/daily-progress-for-wednesday-13-may-2026/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | Young-onset dementia briefing | https://substack.com/home/post/p-189097142 | 8 Jun 2026 | | About Select Committees | https://www3.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/features/about-select-committees/ | 8 Jun 2026 | --- ## Assessment **Overall Value: 🟠 High** This scan revealed several significant committee activities relevant to seniors, most notably the **Disability Support Services Bill** with its urgent 12 June 2026 submission deadline, the **Guardians of NZ Superannuation annual review**, and the **briefing on young/early-onset dementia** at the Health Committee. The next run should coordinate with the urgent DSS Bill deadline.