Experts talked about the legislative novelties of the first month of autumn
The date of September 1, of course, is associated primarily with the Day of Knowledge. Perhaps that is why Russian legislators from that day on have scheduled the introduction of a number of innovations related to the educational process in schools and universities. But since autumn, numerous changes await not only students and teachers. Legal and administrative novels are prepared for drug buyers and visitors to clinics, taxi drivers and pet owners, beer and vape lovers… Experts helped to understand the intricacies of the upcoming changes at MK.
New educational benefits from autumn will be received by the participants of the SVO and their children: they will be able to switch from paid higher education to the state budget if they do not have payment debts, academic tailings and disciplinary sanctions. To transfer to the budget, you will need to document your personal participation in the SVO or kinship with its participants. This opportunity will be valid until August 31, 2024.
“The allocation of state-funded places for this category of students is, of course, a positive development. It is extremely important that the state pays special attention and gives similar benefits to the participants of the SVO and their children. Their number is in the tens of thousands. Of course, all Russian applicants want to study for free, but the situation has always been such that the number of state-funded places in universities and colleges is limited.
It is important to remember that any student has the right to apply for his transfer to a state-funded form of education, even if he studies for a fee. If there is free space on the budget, the payer may automatically get the opportunity to transfer, in other circumstances the transfer will be considered by the academic council of the university, which has the right to reject the application.
And now the preferential category of military personnel and their children actually jumps through several bureaucratic stages and receives the benefit directly, if the necessary conditions are met.
Since the beginning of autumn, the rules for the provision of paid services have changed in polyclinics. The number of free services that a Russian can receive under the CHI policy includes palliative, outpatient and emergency medical care, as well as specialized types of care, including hospital treatment. For free examinations and tests, you will need a referral from the attending physician. If there is no referral, the clinic has the right to provide these services for a fee. This option will be available until August 31, 2024.
“The advantage of this innovation is that the priority right for a free examination is given to citizens assigned to polyclinics at their place of residence. For the rest of the citizens who go to clinics, little has changed, because most of the examinations without a queue, by appointment, are already carried out for a fee. And people have a choice – to take tests for free, but in line, as the clinic is loaded, or for a fee, but out of line. This choice depends on the state of health and financial capabilities of the patients.”
In autumn, the sale of medicines in Russian pharmacies will be tracked through the system for monitoring the movement of medicines (MDLP). Prescription drugs will now be impossible to buy without a special sheet issued by the attending physician. The pharmacist has the right to refuse to sell in the absence of prescription details – dates, numbers and series. This measure was introduced due to the fact that many pharmacies dispensed drugs according to prescriptions written on ordinary paper without a doctor's signature and seal, or did not ask for anything at all. Now a pharmacist who sells a medicine without a prescription faces an administrative fine of up to 20,000 rubles. This innovation will not affect over-the-counter drugs.
“The state is planning to increase control over many goods and services: from the production of agricultural products and the circulation of alcohol to accounting for the sale of prescription drugs. This is done to reduce the share of turnover of counterfeit drugs. The fact that more and more people will get access to medicines on prescription has an important social effect. After all, self-medication is dangerous for health, which doctors never tire of warning about.
In four regions of the Russian Federation – Bashkiria, Dagestan, Tatarstan and Chechnya – a two-year experiment on partner (Islamic) financing will begin on September 1. The purpose of the experiment: to test the Islamic financial model in regions where a large number of Muslims live. The essence of the Islamic financial model is to comply with the principles of Sharia, which imply a prohibition of interest for the use of money, the rejection of excessive risk in financial transactions, and a taboo on investments in such industries as, for example, the sale of alcohol, tobacco, and pork. The Bank of Russia will issue licenses and maintain a register of partner financing organizations, as well as regulate their activities.
“The purpose of the experiment is not only to involve people who observe the canons of Islam more widely in financial services in accordance with their beliefs. Although this is a serious task. Indeed, according to financial analysts, up to 12% of Muslims in Russia, that is, approximately 7-8 million people, are ready to use partner banking. But the question is even bigger. It can be seen as one element of the larger concept of the “pivot to the East”. The situation with Western sanctions, the reorientation of Russia's economic relations towards the southern and eastern countries dictate the need to adapt the banking sector to the new situation. Islamic banking in Russia can contribute to the development of financial and economic transactions with the countries of the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Central and Southeast Asia. The volume of Islamic finance in the world exceeds $3 trillion, it is a huge investment resource.”
From September 1, a register of producers of beer and beer drinks, cider, mead and poiret will appear in Russia. It will be conducted by Rosalkogolregulirovanie. The register will automatically include organizations that have, as of August 31, 2023, a decision on the permissibility of using the main technological equipment with a capacity of not more than 300 thousand decaliters per year without being equipped with automatic metering devices or having the main technological equipment equipped with such meters. From February 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025, manufacturers that automatically enter the register will be assessed for compliance with mandatory requirements. Companies will be notified of inclusion in the register through the State Services.
“Beer is 80% of all sold alcoholic products in the country. At the same time, there was no licensing of production and market sale of such products in Russia. This register will become an analogue of a license for the production of beer and beer drinks. Most likely, production capacities will be controlled from now on. If an enterprise does not have the necessary equipment, it will not be included in the register, that is, it will not receive a license for production. The registry is a way to streamline the market and “whitewash” it. But, of course, it is also necessary to introduce licensing of the sales themselves, because the existing “liquor” with a dubious reputation will not disappear without it.
Parents, as well as guardians and trustees of disabled children, will be able, starting from September 1, to take additional paid 24 days off in a row. Disabled children living in the Russian Federation have the right to sanatorium treatment, but such children cannot independently get to sanatoriums and stay there without the help of relatives and friends. Under the Labor Code, one of the parents, as well as a guardian or trustee, can take four paid days off per month to care for disabled children. But to accompany a child with disabilities to the resort, parents have to use their vacation. Now the Labor Code enshrines the right to provide parents (guardians and trustees) of disabled children with 24 days of additional paid leave during the calendar year.
“According to state statistics, in 2022 there were more than 700,000 disabled children in the country, an increase of 20% compared to 2015. Accordingly, approximately the same number of families can count on a new measure of support – to take additional leave. This is especially necessary when the child needs special supervision of doctors, in sanatorium and medical services. Parents can use this leave to get medical check-ups or spend part of the summer with their child in a sanatorium.”
From September 1, minimum prices for vapes and liquids for them will be set in Russia. They will be determined by the government. In addition, discounts and promotions for these products will be prohibited, and excise taxes on nicotine-containing products will increase. The government will determine a list of substances that increase the attractiveness of nicotine and increase dependence on it. Nicotine-containing liquids, nicotine-free liquids and nicotine solutions with additives from such a list will not be allowed into circulation.
“The formula by which the minimum price for nicotine-containing products will be calculated must be approved by a government decree. The introduction of a minimum price will lead to a reduction in the illegal segment, as it will allow better administration of the market for products with nicotine. If liquids for electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are sold below the minimum price, this will clearly indicate that the product is illegal. Most importantly, however, the minimum price should be set high enough to ensure that these dangerous products are unaffordable to teens. The rise in prices for vapes, according to various estimates, could be 20–25%.”
From September 1, taxi drivers will be banned from working more than 12 hours in one shift, as this may lead to exceeding the working norm established by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. According to the law, working hours cannot exceed 40 hours per week. If the employee cannot complete the shift due to a long trip, it is allowed to exceed the established norm by no more than two hours. In the official applications for the transportation of citizens, a timer will be set, after which the taxi driver will not be able to take new orders. This was done to increase road safety and improve the quality of passenger transportation services. In addition, now a taxi driver must have a valid OSAGO policy, otherwise he may be left without a permit to transport citizens.
“The innovation is designed to improve the safety of taxi transportation – in the interests of both drivers and passengers. After all, according to the statistics of the Russian Union of Motor Insurers, the frequency of accidents with a taxi in 2022 in the country was almost seven times higher than the average frequency of accidents under OSAGO, every third participant in an accident is a taxi driver. The intentions of the authors of the innovation are positive, but it also has its drawbacks. Limitations on the working hours of taxi drivers, increased control over this parameter means a decrease in their revenue and an increase in costs. With existing tariffs, in many cases, work will become unprofitable. Which, in turn, may lead to a reduction in supply in the taxi market and an increase in prices for their services. But this is the price of safety, which is still more important than economic reasons.”
Starting in September, any online advertisement must have an identifier and be taken into account by Roskomnadzor. In case of violations, individuals will pay from 10 to 30 thousand rubles, legal entities – from 200 to 500 thousand rubles. In addition, Roskomnadzor's LGBT propaganda criteria come into effect in September, according to which sites are included in the list of banned sites. The ban includes: content aimed at arousing sexual attraction to minors; information about methods of suicide; promotion of LGBT relations instead of traditional ones; a positive assessment of gender reassignment operations.
“Over the past year, the volume of Internet advertising and marketing in Runet amounted to more than 389 billion rubles, while decreasing by 10% (by 2021). It is clear that in such a huge market, unfortunately, there are both unscrupulous advertisers and sites that post dubious content. That is why it is necessary to pay special attention to the activities of social networks recognized as extremist in Russia, which still feel good. Craftsmen find workarounds to earn money and run ads on prohibited resources. In addition, advertising is veiled and distributed through opinion leaders. Often during online broadcasts or streams. Their control also needs to be dealt with by the relevant departments. Of course, the introduced identifier will allow to distinguish between advertising on the Internet, but regulators should pay close attention to hidden advertising and “jeans” distributed through prohibited resources.
The new procedure for conducting the OGE and the Unified State Examination. Students of the ninth and eleventh grades will be able to apply for participation in the Unified State Examination and the OGE using the State Services portal. There you will also be able to select the subjects for which the student wants to take the exam. The level of difficulty of the exam in mathematics for the exam can be changed at any time, but no later than two weeks before the day of the exam. Those who did not pass the final assessment the first time will have the opportunity to change the list of subjects before retaking it.
Transferring a student to another school. The transfer of a child to another school from the beginning of the school year will change. Parents or guardians will be able to submit documents in person, at the nearest MFC or on the State Services portal. In this case, you will need to indicate the reason for the change of school. Among the possible reasons, in addition to the closure of the former school or the move, it will be possible to indicate the following: conflicts at the school, its inconvenient location, or the lack of in-depth teaching of specific subjects.
Supply of imported medicines for pets. Starting from September, foreign veterinary drugs that go on free sale will have to comply with GMP requirements (from the English good manufacturing practice – good manufacturing practice) accepted at the international level. In addition, the import of products manufactured at such sites will be allowed in the Russian Federation only after each of them is checked by Russian experts.
