Parliament's Human Rights Committee has expressed concerns over the Federal Government's data retention bill and recommended it be changed so authorities have to obtain a warrant.

The committee has called for warrants to be required for the police or others who can get access to the data.

But Federal-Attorney General George Brandis disagrees with the committee's finding, saying that would be impractical and delay investigations.

Committee chairman Philip Ruddock said there were different views within the committee.

"The majority of members considered the Attorney-General's advice addressed many of their concerns, while some other members remained concerned about proportionality of the scheme proposed," he said.

"The difference of views within the committee reflects, I think, the inherent difficulty in assessing proportionality."

The House of Representatives is likely to pass the data retention bill today despite the committee's concerns.

MPs raise concerns over storage location, costs

While the bill has bipartisan backing, MPs are also raising concerns, especially about where the data will be stored.

Labor MP Pat Conroy, who refers to himself as a cyber nationalist, said the data should stay in Australia.

"Labor will insist on a requirement that retained telecommunications data be stored onshore to maximise the security of this data," Mr Conroy said.

"There may be cost issues and they need to be explored but this data must be stored in Australia."

Parliamentary Secretary Paul Fletcher said the Government would help pay for the storage.

"What the Government has consistently said is it will make a reasonable contribution to these costs," he said.

But Labor's Ed Husic said he wanted more detail.

"I think it is unfair that this is left unresolved and that there is not a firm commitment given," Mr Husic said.

While the Human Rights Committee calls for warrants, many MPs like Mr Conroy have pointed out that metadata is already accessed without authorities needing a warrant.

"Wyndam Council in Victoria applied for 18 authorisations in the past 12 months to chase people for unauthorised advertising, unregistered pets and illegal littering," he said.

Warrant to be required for journalists' data

The Government has accepted a recommendation to restrict the number of agencies that can use metadata, so if the bill passes, bodies including the RSPCA and local governments would no longer be able to get access to it.

Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment (Data Retention) Bill 2014 Introduced to Parliament on October 30 and redrafted on the advice of the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (which tabled its report on February 27). The legislation will: Require telecommunications companies to retain customer's phone and computer metadata for 2 years

Require telecommunications companies to retain customer's phone and computer metadata for 2 years Define which types of data must be retained, such as phone numbers, length of phone calls, email addresses and the time a message was sent, but not the content of phone calls or emails and explicitly exclude internet browsing

Define which types of data must be retained, such as phone numbers, length of phone calls, email addresses and the time a message was sent, but not the content of phone calls or emails and explicitly exclude internet browsing Detail which agencies are able to access the data

Detail which agencies are able to access the data Give security agencies access to the data when they can make a case that it is "reasonably necessary" to an investigation

Give security agencies access to the data when they can make a case that it is "reasonably necessary" to an investigation Still require security agencies to obtain a warrant before accessing the actual content of messages or conversations

Still require security agencies to obtain a warrant before accessing the actual content of messages or conversations Introduce an independent oversight mechanism, allowing the Commonwealth Ombudsman access to agency records, in a bid to boost privacy protections

Introduce an independent oversight mechanism, allowing the Commonwealth Ombudsman access to agency records, in a bid to boost privacy protections Give the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security oversight of the use of metadata by the AFP and ASIO

Give the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security oversight of the use of metadata by the AFP and ASIO The Government is negotiating with telcos about who will pay for the new system

But the Government has agreed agencies will have to get a warrant to examine data that would identify a journalist's source.

Labor MPs are now pushing the Government to spell out how it will word that safeguard for reporters.

Veteran Labor MP Laurie Ferguson said he wanted a broad definition of journalist.

"I think there's a real question that people who are not full-time journalists but people who actually perform the role of informing the public and are investigative in the way they operate — that they also should be covered," he said.

"I'm not clear at this stage whether that is the case but it should be."

Labor's Terry Butler urged the Government to consult the media itself.

"The Leader of the Opposition has strongly recommended to the Government that they consult with media organisations about those amendments and about the content of those amendments," he said.

Media organisations are due to appear before a parliamentary hearing, but the Prime Minister has argued that now there is a deal that is not necessary.

However, as the Government has not released the wording of its amendment, the hearing its likely to go ahead.