Parliament legalizes freelancingThe Federation Council has approved a law on Wednesday obliging employers to sign labor contracts with freelancers. The relevant amendments will be made to the Labor Code and the law on electronic signature.17:07 27.03.2013
Convicts may have terms reduced for hard work in prisonFederation Council member Konstantin Surkov has sponsored a bill to State Duma which proposes to give convicts a chance to reduce their sentences by working hard in prison. According to the bill, a prisoner who has demonstrated good conduct, hard work and has never been issued a reprimand can have his or her term reduced.11:53 26.03.2013
Russian upper house approves law objecting to Bolivia's coca leaf exceptionThe Federation Council approved on Wednesday a bill objecting to Bolivia's reservation to the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, allowing coca bushes to grow in the country.15:29 06.03.2013
Supreme Court judges may be prohibited from having bank accounts abroadThe Federation Council and the Supreme Court will be drawing up a bill to prohibit Supreme Court judges from having foreign bank accounts and foreign securities.12:39 06.03.2013
Upper house backs bill fining employers for refusing to hire disabledThe Federation Council, the Russian parliaments upper house, approved a bill on Wednesday which fines employers who refuse to hire people with disabilities.15:04 20.02.2013
Russia's Upper House asks US Congress to track all Russian adopteesThe Federation Council (Russia's Upper House) is expected to make an official appeal to US Congress today to track the fate of all adopted Russian children and also to draft decisions together with Russia on the worsening situation.11:51 20.02.2013
Russia considers ratifying European Convention on CorruptionThe Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, plans to discuss whether to ratify the European Civil Law Convention on Corruption this year, says head of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko.13:16 13.02.2013
Russian senators approve law on professional associationsOn Wednesday, the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, approved amendments to the Civil Code and the Law on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), which will allow individuals as well as organizations to establish associations for the protection of their professional interests.14:43 06.02.2013
Government to revise law on protecting believers' rightsThe Russian government has sent back the draft law on increasing liability for causing religious offence for revision.10:27 28.01.2013
Russia's upper house toughens illegal migration lawThe upper house of Russia's parliament, the Federation Council, has adopted the law toughening punishment for organizing illegal migration.17:23 26.12.2012
Russia’s upper house passes anti-US adoption billThe upper house of Russia’s parliament, the Federation Council, unanimously passed the controversial bill which prohibits U.S. citizens from adopting children in Russia.16:03 26.12.2012
Anti-US proposed sanctions not to hinder pending adoptions - officialRussian children, whose adoption documents are already being executed, will be adopted even if the “Dima Yakovlev Law” comes into effect, said Mikhail Margelov, Chairman of the Federation Council International Affairs Committee.15:05 24.12.2012
Federation Council approves amendments to Air Code on flight safetyThe Federation Council has approved a governmental law according to which the Air Code will have a new article on the safety of civil airplane flights in line with the standards of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.14:57 19.12.2012
Federation Council approves law on increasing judges' wagesThe Federation Council has approved a law stipulating the increase of wages for judges depending on their qualification class, degree and knowledge of foreign languages. The corresponding amendments have been introduced to the law On the Status of Judges in Russia.12:16 19.12.2012
Putin approves new order to form upper housePresident Vladimir Putin has approved a new order to form the parliament's upper house. The corresponding document was published on Tuesday on the government's official legal website.15:46 04.12.2012
Federation Council approves scavenger oil benefits billThe Federation Council has approved on Wednesday a law on benefits for scavenger oil deposits. The document drafted by the Energy Ministry stipulates the use of export customs duties amounting to 10 percent of the ordinary export rate in relation to scavenger oil.16:45 28.11.2012
Russian senators beef up law on the crime of fraudThe Federation Council has approved a law, providing further detail into the Criminal Code article on "fraud," and banning the possibility to initiate criminal cases under the article without first receiving a complaint from the defendant.14:39 28.11.2012
Russian legislature considers replacing senatorial appointments with electionsThe Federation Council's Committee for Constitutional Legislation backed a bill on new requirements to form the Federation Council (Russia's upper house of parliament) on Tuesday.16:52 27.11.2012
Russia's upper house increases state financing of political partiesThe Federation Council (Russian Parliament's Upper House) has approved on Wednesday a law on increasing by 150 percent the state financing of political parties, which gained over three percent of the votes during the State Duma elections.15:31 21.11.2012
Senators to consider law on new system for forming Russia's upper houseThe Federation Council (Russian Parliament's Upper House) will consider a law on the new system for its formation at a plenary hearing on November 28.14:39 21.11.2012