Riigikogu extended range of persons who receive needs-based family benefit
The Riigikogu passed three Acts:
The Act on Amendments to the Social Welfare Act (399 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction and Members of the Riigikogu Rainer Vakra, Inara Luigas, Lembit Kaljuvee, Kalle Laanet and Deniss Boroditsh, was passed with 78 votes in favour. It extends the range of persons who receive the needs-based family benefit. According to the Act, all families with children who receive a subsistence benefit have the possibility to receive the needs-based family benefit. The right to receive the needs-based family benefit also extends to families who have got children and whose incomes during the three months preceding the application for the needs-based family benefit exceed the income limit for the needs-based family benefit but whose housing expenses are so high that the family received a subsistence benefit in the month preceding the application for the needs-based family benefit.
The Act on Amendments to the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act and the Unemployment Insurance Act (427 SE), initiated by the Social Affairs Committee, was passed with 73 votes in favour. It restores the regulation of repeatedly applying for the unemployment allowance or the unemployment insurance that was in force until 1 April 2013 where payment of the unemployment allowance or the unemployment insurance was continued also in the case when the person had been in the public service, including compulsory military service, alternative service or reserve service, during two periods when he or she had been registered as unemployed.
The Act on Amendments to the Ambient Air Protection Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (434 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 74 votes in favour. It transposes the concepts used in European Union law, specifies the regulations in the Act and updates the wording. The regulation concerns the auctioning of greenhouse gas emission allowances and the use of the auctioning revenues, the trading registry holding account and the person trading account, as well as the procedure for calculating the greenhouse gas emission allowances auctioned to aircraft operators.
The Riigikogu concluded the second reading of three Bills:
On the motion of the Cultural Affairs Committee, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act and Other Associated Acts (340 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The aim of the Bill is to update the organisation of education: to better ensure equal availability of high-quality education and to change the forms of operation of basic schools and upper secondary schools, the organisation of studies, the management of schools, the work of teachers and remuneration of their work, and the principles of financing of schools. During the second reading, the Cultural Affairs Committee decided to omit from the Bill the obligation to form three fields of study in the upper secondary school stage; at the same time, the Bill contains a provision which obligates upper secondary schools to provide different options for students. The Cultural Affairs Committee made a proposal to omit from this Bill the planned amendments relating to financing. The Social Democratic Party Faction and the Estonian Centre Party Faction moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill. The motion was not supported. The result of voting: 35 votes in favour, 51 votes against, 1 abstention. The Bill was sent to the third reading.
On the motion of the Legal Affairs Committee, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Penal Code and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (393 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The Bill specifies the provisions concerning criminal official misconduct. As regards criminal official misconduct, the definition of both the public official and the private sector official is systematised and it is brought into conformity with the wording and meaning of the Anti-corruption Act which entered into force on 1 April 2013. Liability for repeated acceptance of gratuities or bribe is also specified. The Bill was sent to the third reading.
On the motion of the Finance Committee, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Financial Supervision Authority Act and the Investment Funds Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (430 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The purpose of the Bill is to enhance financial supervision of financial conglomerates, to enable units of investment funds of other Member States to be offered pursuant to a simpler procedure in Estonia and to set the Financial Supervision Authority a clearer role in the promotion of the financial knowledge of the population. The Bill was sent to the third reading.
The first additional sitting began at 5.00 p.m. and ended at 5.54 p.m.
The second additional Riigikogu sitting will begin at 6.24 p.m.
The Riigikogu Press Service