During the second session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the seventh convocation, the Committee on Matters of Pensioners, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities considered 81 issues

The Committee had competence over 40 bills, which it has scrutinized and referred the conclusion to the Verkhovna Rada. The Committee recommended to: adopt as a basis and in entirety 2 bills; as a basis – 26 bills; recommit to the subjects of legislative initiative – 4 bills; the decision over 3 bills was recommended to be taken by the Verkhovna Rada in the process of voting. 1 bill was recommended to be rejected. 2 bills were recommended to be adopted in the second reading and in entirety.

Apart from this, the Committee has considered 30 draft legislative acts that belong to the subject matter of other committes and referred its conclusion to the respective parliamentary committees.  

During plenary meetings, the Parliament considered 14 draft legislative acts pertaining to the competence of the Committee. 

Of which 6 were adopted as a laws. In particular:

- the draft law on amendments to several laws of Ukraine regarding voluntary payment of a single fee (Reg. No. 0917); Law No. 184-VII.

The legislative act amends to the laws “On Collection and Recording of the Single Contribution to the Mandatory State Social Insurance” and "On Mandatory State Pension Insurance.”

- the draft law on amendments to article 13 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Status of War Veterans and Guarantees of Their Social Protection” (re preferential free sanatorium and resort treatment of the war veterans ) (Reg. No. 1086), Law No. 284-VII.

The Law grants primarily provision of disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War and veterans of War with Japan with free sanatorium and resort treatment.

- the draft law on amendments to several laws of Ukraine re granting and indexation of pension (Reg. No. 1117), Law No. 231-VII.

Legislative act amends the laws “On Mandatory State Pension Insurance”, “On Pension Provision of Persons Discharged from Military Service and Several Other Persons”, “On Collection and Registration of a Single Fee for Mandatory State Social Insurance” and “On State Social Assistance to Persons that do not have the Right to Pension and Disabled Persons”.  

- the draft law on amendments to article 1 of the Law “On Pensions for Special Merits before Ukraine” re granting pension to parents having brought up 5 and more children (Reg. No. 1244), Law No. 170-VII.

- the draft law on amendments to the Law “On State Social Assistance to Disabled since childhood and Disabled Children” (re care allowance) (Reg. No. 2015a).

Since July 2013, the law increases care allowance amount for care for a disabled child of subgroup A (article 3) from 50 per cent to 75 per cent of a minimum subsistence level for persons who lost ability to work.

The draft law on amendments to several laws of Ukraine re pension insurance of certain categories of persons (Reg. No. 1118) was recommitted to the author.

7 draft laws and resolutions were either rejected, or withdrawn from consideration (1 of which was not included into the draft agenda of the session).

More than 50 bills are under consideration in the Committee, according to the approved Committee’s working plan for the period of the third session.

During the second session the Committee has persistently worked on the issue of exercising parliamentary control.

The Committee held a round table discussion entitled “Formation of inclusive policy in educational sphere” (jointly with the All-Ukrainian public social-politic organization "National Assembly of Disabled of Ukraine") on February 14, 2013.

The Committee held hearings entitled "On the status of adherence to legislation in regard to certain issues of social protection of war veterans in the Republic of Afghanistan as well as military conflicts in other foreign countries, and members of their families" on March 20, 2013.

The people’s deputies-members of the Committee referred for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine the draft law on amendments to article 15 of the Law “On the Status of Veterans and Guarantees of their Social Protection” (re social protection of members of the bereaved military men families). The Committee upheld the bill. The Committee prepares the draft resolution on holding parliamentary hearings entitled “On social security of war veterans” in December 2013.  

Under article 14 of the Law “On the Committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine” and in the order of exercising parliamentary control, the Committee has heard to the information of the Counting Chamber of Ukraine regarding the results of auditing of efficiency of fund use, stipulated in the state budget in order to provide disabled and disabled Chornobyl veterans with automobiles.   

Following the results of consideration, the respective recommendations prepared and referred to the central bodies of executive power.

During this meeting the Committee has also heard to the information of the Counting Chamber on the results of audit of efficiency of using funds of the state Budget of Ukraine for 2011 and the first half of the 2012 for financial support of public organizations of veterans and disabled. 

Following the results of consideration, the respective recommendations prepared and referred to the central bodies of executive power.

In September 2013 the Committee’s working plan for the third session stipulates hear to the information on measures taken by the respective bodies of executive power in order to fulfill Committee’s recommendations. 

The Committee has considered the issue of implementing paragraph five of clause 3 of section XV of “Final Provisions” of the Law “On Mandatory State Pension Insurance” re granting early retirement pension to parents having brought up five and more children or a disabled child.  

Consideration of this issue was initiated by parents because they were refused to grant such a pension due to the fact that mother has not turned 50 at the moment father has applied for pension.   

The decision of the Committee on this issue was referred to the Cabinet of Ministers with recommendation to ensure fulfillment of provisions of paragraphs four-five of clause 3 of section XV of “Final Provisions” of the Law “On Mandatory State Pension Insurance” with consideration of Committee’s position.  

On April 3, 2013, the Committee considered the issue regarding implementation of article 344 of the Tax Code of Ukraine in the part of granting pensions to the personnel of the tax service.

Following the results of consideration, the Committee took a unanimous stand: article 344 of the Tax Code of Ukraine is effective since 12/08/2012.

Within the framework of exercising supervisory function over statements; letters from citizens, organizations and institutions; as well as mass media publication pertaining to its competence, the Committee addressed bodies of prosecutor’s office of Ukraine, internal affairs bodies of Ukraine, and bodies of executive power with a demand to proper, within the applicable legislation, reaction to these or that violations of legislation.  

Together with the law-making and supervisory activity, the Committee has also performed organizational functions, under article 13 of the Law “On the Committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine”. The committee has considered 6 issues of this nature.   

During the second session the committee members and secretarial staff have participated in a number of events, amidst which there were round table discussions, meetings, conferences, and workshops. 

Committee Chairman V.Sushkevych participated in the meeting of the Coordination council on matters of development of civil society (April 18, 2013); deputy Chairman of the Committee S.Kunitsyn participated in the meeting of the Coordination Council of the Warriors-Internationalists Affairs Committee at the CIS Council of Heads of Governments (May 15, 2013); etc.

The Committee scrutinized 1165 citizens’ letters, of which 543 were motions, appeals and complaints.

Committee Chairman V.Sushkevych held personal reception of citizens on February 8, 2013.

13 requests for public information were registered in the Single Information Request Database of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. They were referred to the Committee’s Secretariat which provided timely and full responses to all of them.