The second reading of a Bill on family benefits continued in the Riigikogu

The second reading of a Bill increasing child benefits that had been adjourned at Wednesday’s sitting due to the end of working hours continued at today’s sitting of the Riigikogu. The reviewing of the motions to amend the Bill continued at today’s sitting. The Riigikogu had voted on 52 motions at yesterday’s sitting; 68 of 1191 motions to amend had been voted on by the end of today’s sitting.

Thus, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act (619 SE), initiated by 54 members of the Riigikogu, was adjourned due to the end of the working hours of the sitting.

The Bill will raise the child allowance for the first and second child from 60 euro to 100 euro, that is, to the same level as the child allowance for the third and subsequent children. According to the Bill, the allowance for families with many children will rise from 300 euro to 700 euro per month for families with three to six children, and from 400 euro to 900 euro for families with seven or more children. In order that the allowance for families with many children would continue to be proportional to the rise in the standard of living, and that the amount of the allowance would not need to be changed every year, the allowance will be indexed by 1 April of each year. The value of the index will depend to the extent of 20 per cent on the annual increase in the consumer price index and to the extent of 80 per cent on the annual increase in the receipt of the pension insurance part of social tax. According to the Bill, the allowance for families with many children will decrease gradually. In the case of families with many children, the allowance will be paid to the extent of two thirds of the allowance if two of the children are minors, and to the extent one third if one child is a minor.

The Reform Party Faction had submitted about 1660 motions to amend the Bill by the deadline, and the Social Democratic Party Faction had submitted four. The lead committee had not incorporated the motions. The motions of the Reform Party Faction that were connected with amendment of State Budget for 2022 Act had not been entered in the table of motions to amend. There were about 470 such motions.

During the second reading, the Social Affairs Committee decided to amend the Bill by adding a provision under which the single parent’s child allowance will be doubled by raising it to 40 euro. The committee also incorporated into the Bill the amendment under which, in the case of a multiple birth, the allowance for families with many children will be paid until the children attain the age of 21 years.

The reviewing of the motions to amend the Bill that had been submitted began at the Wednesday’s sitting of the Riigikogu. By the end of the sitting, the plenary had voted on 52 of the 1191 motions entered on the list of motions to amend. The Riigikogu was able to review 16 more motions at the plenary sitting that started today at 10 a.m. The reviewing of the motions to amend will continue at the next regular sitting beginning at 3 p.m. on Monday.

The first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Local Government Organisation Act and Associated Acts (626 SE), initiated by the Government, and the Bill on Amendments to the Aliens Act (561 SE), initiated by Faction Isamaa, and the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the State Fees Act (598 SE), initiated by the Government, the Bill on Amendments to the Working Conditions of Employees Posted to Estonia Act, the Employment Contracts Act and the Unemployment Insurance Act (599 SE), initiated by the Government, and the Bill on Amendments to the Mental Health Act and the Health Services Organisation Act (600 SE), initiated by the Government, will be transferred to the agenda for the next working week due to the end of the working hours of the sitting.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

The video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Source: Parliament of Estonia