The purpose of the adoption of the package of drafts on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law on Assessment of Functionality of Person is to clarify the authorizing norms of the law. The co-rapporteur, the Deputy Minister of the RA Labor and Social Affairs Tatevik Stepanyan said this presenting the legislative package for debate in the first reading at the extraordinary sitting of the Standing Committee on Labor and Social Affairs on July 10.
According to her, some authorizing norms were edited, and the authorizing norm regarding the annual programme was removed from the law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It is also proposed to remove the norm of approving the programme of measures for the transformation of care services for persons with disabilities and the norm of approving the programme of reforms of the disability assessment system and the introduction of the system of assessment of personal functionality from the law on Assessment of Functionality of Person, as it is planned not to approve them as separate programmes, but to reflect the actions concerning their implementation in the complex programme of social inclusion of persons with disabilities.
At the same time, according to Article 4.2 of the draft, it is designed to develop methodological guidelines for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities and social inclusion, as well as the provision of support measures, as necessary, taking into consideration the features of some cases.
It was noted that in the context of assessing the person’s functionality, it is necessary to establish appropriate regulations to implement the provisions of the interstate agreement. The draft authorizes the Government to define these features.
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According to Tatevik Stepanyan, the amendments and addenda proposed in the package of drafts aim to bring the RA legislation into line with the implementation of the obligations undertaken within the framework of the April 29, 2019 Agreement on Pension Security of Employees of the EEU Member States. Article 9 of the Agreement stipulates: “The medical examination of an employee (family member) for the purpose of defining disability is carried out in accordance with the legislation of the state of his residence, according to his place of residence.”
According to the Deputy Minister, taking into consideration the fact that Armenia will completely switch to the system of assessing the person’s functionality from 2024, it is planned to define the features of disability assessment within the framework of the international treaty of the Republic of Armenia within six months after the law enters into force.
The member of the Committee, the deputy of the Civil Contract Faction Zaruhi Batoyan highlighted the Government’s efforts aimed at the regular reform of the sector. She called on her colleagues to abstain and not to adopt a number of amendments proposed by the drafts.
Tatevik Stepanyan touched upon the MP’s proposals in detail and considered them unacceptable. She also stated that the Government has not received the written version of these proposals.
The member of the Committee, the deputy of the NA Armenia Faction Aghvan Vardanyan proposed to postpone the debate of the issue for a period of two months, to comprehensively address Zaruhi Batoyan’s proposals during this time.
The Committee rejected the opposition MP’s proposal by voting.
The Committee members endorsed the proposal of the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Labor and Social Affairs Heriknaz Tigranyan, which was included in the package.
Answering Aghvan Vardanyan’s question about the grievances of the disabled boys who took part in the 44-day war, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Tatevik Stepanyan mentioned that they are in constant contact with the boys and regularly monitor them. According to her assurance, the Government provides around 40 million AMD in compensation only for prosthetics.
As a result of the debate, the Committee endorsed the legislative package, it will be included in the agenda of the NA next session.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
