18   Concurrent operation of State and Territory laws

                   This Act is not intended to exclude or limit the operation of a law of a State or Territory that is capable of operating concurrently with this Act.

19   This Act does not apply to State banking and State insurance

                   This Act does not apply with respect to:

                     (a)  State banking that does not extend beyond the limits of the State concerned; or

                     (b)  State insurance that does not so extend.

20   Quarterly reports about Year 2000 processing issues relating to Commonwealth agencies

             (1)  At least once each quarter, the Minister must cause to be laid before each House of the Parliament a report about the progress of Commonwealth agencies in detecting, preventing and remedying problems relating to Year 2000 processing.

             (2)  If the report has already been made available to the public, the Minister must cause copies of the report to be laid before each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the report was made available to the public.

             (3)  In this section:

Commonwealth agency means:

                     (a)  a Department; or

                     (b)  an authority or instrumentality of the Commonwealth, except where the functions of the authority or instrumentality are wholly or primarily commercial functions.

quarter means:

                     (a)  the period of 3 months beginning on the date of commencement of this section; and

                     (b)  each subsequent period of 3 months, being a period that begins before 1 July 2001.

21   Regulations

                   The Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters:

                     (a)  required or permitted by this Act to be prescribed; or

                     (b)  necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act.

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[ Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 11 February 1999

Senate on 18 February 1999 ]