Data currency and status

Law changes. Every answer that shows legislation says what Advisor knows about the title's status and the compilation behind the text, so your service can say it too.

Data currency: Advisor serves the text of titles that the Federal Register of Legislation records as in force. It does not return the text of a repealed, ceased or sunset title, for any date.

  • A title or a served provision carries a status block (status, or in_force in a list) with in_force, frl_status and confirmed_with_frl_at: when Advisor last confirmed the status with the Federal Register.
  • Served text and search hits carry a compilation block with register_id, compilation_no, check_date and state. state is one of four values:
    • current: the Federal Register's latest list names the compilation the text comes from.
    • not_current: the Federal Register lists a newer compilation. Tell the user, and use the frl_link in the response.
    • pending_compilation: amendments have commenced that are not yet compiled, so the text does not include them.
    • not_confirmed: the Federal Register lists no current compilation, or Advisor holds no record of one. Treat it as unknown.
  • TITLE_NOT_IN_FORCE and COMPILATION_NOT_CURRENT are answers, not failures. Show the user the Federal Register link in the response and do not fill the gap from another source.

The status block

Titles in a list carry the block as in_force; a single title or a served provision carries it as status. Real, from get_provision_text on the Privacy Act 1988, 10 October 2026:

"status": {
  "in_force": true,
  "frl_status": "InForce",
  "since": null,
  "confirmed_with_frl_at": "2026-10-09T16:37:46.550767Z",
  "frl_link": "https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2026C00227",
  "notice": "In force according to the Federal Register of Legislation, as last confirmed on the date shown.",
  "compilation": {
    "register_id": "C2026C00227",
    "compilation_no": 104,
    "check_date": "2026-10-09T16:47:33.513124Z",
    "state": "current"
  }
}

In force

A title is in force when the Federal Register records it as in force, no repeal date has passed, and it is not past a sunset date the Federal Register has not confirmed since. Advisor checks the Federal Register every night. Advisor never returns the text of a title that is not in force, for any date and to any caller.

The compilation

A compilation is the Federal Register's consolidated text of a title at a point in time, with its own register id (for example C2026C00227). compilation_no is the number printed on its cover. check_date is when the Federal Register last listed this compilation as the current one.

An old date can be current

A compilation registered years ago, with a recent check_date, is the current law: nothing has amended the title since. Read state and check_date, not the registration date.

What this means for your code

Related pages