By Plenary Sessions: Signe Riisalo

The legislative priority is the draft Act on Amendments to the Social Welfare Act and other legislation. Its objectives include raising the subsistence level, clarifying the procedure for determining the allowance for pensioners living alone, and ensuring stable funding for social services. The speaker, who represents the lead committee on the bill, supports its first reading, stressing that these amendments are substantively necessary.

The legislative focus is currently on opposing the specific bill for raising family benefits, as it is considered too costly and merely a one-off measure. The preference is for a broader, comprehensive action plan that would encompass changes to parental benefits, housing affordability, and work-family life reconciliation, alongside alternative measures such as the indexation of benefits.

The legislative focus is currently on developing and negotiating mitigation measures related to the implementation of the car tax. The objective was to reach solutions that address the practical needs and preferences of organizations representing people with disabilities.

The main legislative priority is completing the second reading of the draft bill on end-of-life declarations and preparing it for the third reading. Furthermore, the focus is on improving the implementing provisions concerning the payment of the work ability allowance to ensure better social protection for people. The speaker is the lead sponsor and rapporteur of the bill.

The main legislative focus is centered on procedural correctness and the scheduling of when laws take effect. There is opposition to the draft amendment of the Public Health Act, and support for rejecting it during the first reading, given that the law is set to expire on September 1, 2025. Additionally, the Measurement Act and the relevant EU directive concerning timekeeping are being discussed.

The focus is on the future strategy and vision for the existing education policy and the changes implemented within the administrative sector. The speaker is not presenting new legislative proposals, but is demanding clarity regarding the further implementation of the policy.

The primary legislative priority is reforming the unemployment insurance system to expand the pool of recipients and guarantee concurrent support for individuals with reduced work capacity. Furthermore, attention is focused on improving the funding and organization of specialized welfare services, allocating the released resources to services provided for children.

The main legislative focus is the adoption of Draft Act 519, which reforms the unemployment benefits system and brings the Work Ability Allowance Act into compliance with the Constitution. Future priorities include a draft bill being prepared by the Ministry of Social Affairs to simplify the allocation of subsistence benefits, and the development of a new minimum income methodology by next spring.

The legislative focus is currently on the processing of two draft bills: the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, and a bill concerning the health information system aimed at legalizing end-of-life declarations (advance directives). The speaker’s role, as the representative of the responsible committee, is to move the procedure forward, propose the conclusion of the first reading, and set the deadline for amendments.