The Industrial Chemicals Act 2019 (the Act) establishes the legislative framework for a new risk-based scheme for the Commonwealth regulation of the introduction of industrial chemicals in Australia. And the Industrial Chemicals (General) Rules 2019 (these rules) prescribe details to support the framework. 

To ensure the continued Commonwealth regulation of the introduction of industrial chemicals, these rules establish the technical and operational details of AICIS including:

1. Preliminary matters such as definitions and detail regarding terms defined in the Act, the prescribed bodies that the Executive Director will consult with, and criteria for commercial evaluation authorisations;

2. Categorisation of industrial chemical introductions, including what is exempted and what is reported;

3. Requirements for reporting information about introductions;

4. Requirements for record keeping;

5. Confidentiality and disclosure;

6. International agreements and arrangements; and

7. Additional functions for the Executive Director.