MOSCOW. Feb 2 (Interfax-AVN) - The State Duma defense committee has submitted four bills to the lower house of parliament for consideration, committee chairman Viktor Zavarzin said on Monday.
The first bill contains amendments to the federal laws "Concerning the State Defense Order" and "Concerning Defense" that grant the executor of the state defense order the right to attract and use off-budget funds for which it will later be reimbursed by the state customer, Zavarzin told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"The Russian government should have the right to determine goals and order of the use of off-budget funds in the interests of national defense. The bill has been passed on the first reading," the lawmaker said.
The second bill entitled "Concerning Amendments to Selected Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation" has been submitted by President Vladimir Putin and passed by the lower house on the first reading as well. It envisages changes in some conditions of military service and in a few provisions determining the status of servicemen, primarily contracted privates, sailors and sergeants, Zavarzin said.
The bill contains changes that are envisaged by the federal purpose-oriented program of transition to professional service with several military units for 2004-2007. The program took effect on January 1 this year.
One more bill contains amendments to Article 25 of the federal law "Concerning Liability to Carry Arms and Military Service". It was passed on the first reading in October 2003. If the bill becomes law, residents of remote areas whose status is equal to that of residents of the Extreme North will be recruited for active-duty service once a year, not twice, as elsewhere in Russia. The list of such areas is to be determined by the General Staff, the lawmaker said.
The bill "Concerning Amendments to Article 24 of the Federal Law "Concerning Liability to Carry Arms and Military Service" grants draft deferment to citizens whose wife has been pregnant for 26 or more weeks, as well as to citizens who have a disabled child over three years of age. Under current legislation, only those who have a disabled child under three years of age are entitled to draft deferment.
"Speaking about citizens whose wives are pregnant, we have to transfer them to the reserve anyway after the child is born. Is it worth spending money on their recruitment, transportation to the place of service and back, and uniform if we have to transfer them to the reserve in just three months?" Zavarzin said.