The Safeguarding Australia’s Military Secrets Act 2024 (SAMS Act) will come into force from Monday 6 May 2024.
The SAMS Act is designed to ensure Australia’s military secrets stay in Australian hands.
The Act requires former ADF and Defence APS members, along with Australian citizens and permanent residents providing certain types of training, to apply for a Foreign Work Authorisation to perform work for, or on behalf of, a military organisation of government body of a relevant foreign country. This includes undertaking such work or training via another entity, such as a company or organisation, or as a contractor for a relevant foreign military or government body.
The SAMS Act applies to
- former ADF members
- former members of the Department of Defence
- former members of the Australian Submarine Agency
- Australian citizens and permanent residents seeking to provide training to foreign militaries in relation to
- goods, software or technology with the scope of Part 1 of the Defence and Strategic Goods List
- military tactics, military techniques or military procedures.
