Deputies strengthen the defense – Newspaper Kommersant No. 34 (7479) of 02.28.

On Monday, the State Duma Council recommended that the chamber approve a draft calendar for the consideration of issues for March. According to a tradition established in the last year, several initiatives included in it are aimed at resolving problems one way or another related to defense, mobilization and a special military operation (SVO). In particular, the deputies will adopt amendments on the features of disciplinary arrest in wartime, on the right of military personnel to certify their signatures from commanders when submitting applications for registration of children and on accounting for military service as an individual achievement when entering universities and colleges.

The bill, which establishes the specifics of the application of disciplinary arrest of military personnel during the period of mobilization, martial law and wartime, was introduced by Andrei Kartapolov, Chairman of the Duma Defense Committee, and Andrei Krasov, his first deputy (both United Russia). According to the amendments, not only garrison courts, but also commanders of military units will be able to send the guilty to the guardhouse. “An analysis of the implementation of the SVO indicates the need to return such a type of disciplinary sanction as a disciplinary arrest with detention in a guardhouse imposed by commanders without a court decision,” the explanatory note to the project says.

A disciplinary arrest will be imposed for 10 days “for one or more gross disciplinary offenses.” A list of such violations is also established. Among them – unauthorized abandonment of a military unit, evasion of military service duties, destruction or damage to military property through negligence, performance of military service duties in a state of intoxication. The explanatory note states that the adoption of the law will give the commanders of military units and the chiefs of the military police the power to apply disciplinary arrest without a court order, which will “shorten the maximum period for the proceedings.” Paired with this bill are amendments by the same authors to the laws on the status of servicemen and on their monetary allowance, according to which no monetary allowance will be paid for the period of service of a disciplinary arrest.

The Duma will also consider in the second reading a government bill aimed at optimizing the mechanism for assigning a monthly cash payment to the heroes of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation, full holders of the Order of Glory, heroes of Socialist Labor, heroes of Labor of Russia, etc. and providing supporting documents) appointment of a monthly cash payment to those who were awarded this title starting from January 1, 2023, and for those who received this title earlier, a simplification of the procedure is provided (if they choose a single cash payment instead of benefits in kind).

Also, in the second reading, a draft law on accounting for military service as an individual achievement when entering universities and colleges will be considered. The initiative was introduced in October 2022 by senators and deputies from United Russia, headed by Secretary of the General Council of the party, First Vice Speaker of the Federation Council Andrey Turchak.

Another March bill, introduced by a group of deputies led by Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and leaders of all factions, gives servicemen the right to certify their signatures with commanders of military units or heads of military hospitals to make an entry on the registration of children in civil status records. The explanatory note states that the document “is aimed at supporting persons participating in the SVO and their family members in order to ensure the availability of the state service for registering children of military personnel.” Now, when submitting an application for registration of a child, the signature of a serviceman must be certified by a notary. “This approach creates difficulties for the families of military personnel and leads to the consideration of this issue in court,” the authors of the initiative explain.

Among the most notable “peaceful” bills are amendments planned for the second reading on full state financing of the production and distribution of national feature films for children and youth. The initiative was introduced by a group of deputies and senators led by Elena Yampolskaya (United Russia) in November last year. In the first reading, the government’s draft proposal on the humanization of conditions of detention and serving sentences, submitted in early February, should be considered. The amendments, in particular, provide that the suspect or the accused will be considered not to have been punished if, within a year from the date of serving the previous such punishment, he is not subjected to a new one. In addition, the amount of funds for the purchase of food and basic necessities will be increased in an amount equivalent to the inflation rate for the period 2016-2021. Finally, the first reading of the government’s draft submitted in February on sending to the prosecutor’s office the materials of checks of income declarations of civil servants upon their dismissal is expected. At the same time, if six months or more have passed since the day of dismissal, the check is not carried out.

Ksenia Veretennikova, Maria Makutina