The main item of the 74th session of the Sejm was the debate on the 2019 budget bill. Among other things, MPs also dealt with a project to improve air quality and ensure the security of heat and electricity supply. The Sejm is also expected to work on amendments to the Aviation Law that will increase the protection of passenger rights.

Debate for a vote of confidence in the government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was the main event of the first day of the 74th session of the Sejm. In addition, on Wednesday the House proceeded The Sejm debated eight bills, including, among others, those on regional self-government, a bill improving air quality and ensuring security of heat and electricity supply. The Sejm also debated amendments to the Aviation Law and the appointment of an ombudsman for passengers. The deputies paid tribute to the late MP Jolanta Szczypiñska, and commemorated the victims of martial law.

Among the major bills that members worked on Thursday were: introducing an increase in pensions, allowing early debt repayment by local governments, and adjusting the powers of officers in the area of personal inspections and searches to constitutional standards. In addition, deputies heard a report on the implementation of the Maluch Plus program.

On Friday, the traditional Christmas wafer meeting of the parliamentarians was held in the main hall of the Sejm. The meeting was attended among others by the Speakers of the Sejm and Senate, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, Vice Speakers of both Houses of Parliament and heads of Chancelleries. The third day of the 74th session began with Ombudsman for Children Mikołaj Pawlak takes the oath - The term of office is five years, counting from the date of the oath of office. The term of the RPD lasts five years, starting from the day of the oath. Afterwards, deputies paid tribute to the memory of the late Marian Chmielewski a.k.a. "Pomidor" - a soldier of DSZ-WiN units of Major Hieronim Dekutowski "Zapora".

The House held its 3rd reading and votes which resulted in the following bills being passed. They will now go to the Senate.

- on public finance, which allowed restructuring and early repayment of debt to local government units;

- on Notaries, which repealed two provisions regarding the possibility of notary public to perform service in civil proceedings;

- Amendment of the Law on Aviation. The amendments will bring the law into line with EU legislation in the areas of passenger rights, air navigation, aviation personnel, aviation technology, aviation business and air transport, airports and civil aviation security;

- on the protection of personal data processed in connection with the prevention and combating of crime, which concerns, among others. definition of permitted purposes, subject matter and scope, and definitions of personal data processing;

- Amendment to the Act on Special Solutions Associated with the Organization in the Republic of Poland of a Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The amendment provides for Providing support to developing countries for climate change mitigation and adaptation implemented in pursuit of the objectives of the Climate Convention, through the Green Climate Fund or the Adaptation Fund, or through bilateral assistance;

- Amendment of the Act on bio-components and liquid biofuels;

- Amendments to the Customs Law and the Excise Tax Act, which until 31.12.2019 allows the use of a paper delivery document for domestic shipments outside the excise duty suspension regime of exempted or zero-rated products;

- Amendments to the Pensions Act From March 2019, the lowest pensions will be increased by 6.8%;

- Industry 4.0 Act, Smart Factories innovation, The Future Industry Platform Foundation will be established. Its aim is to support the adjustment of Polish economy to the challenges resulting from the fourth industrial revolution;

- Amendment of the Act on the Polish Police. The changes result from a CT ruling and adjust the powers of officers in the area of personal inspections and searches to constitutional standards;

- High Efficiency Cogeneration Electricity Promotion Act. New solutions will improve air quality and ensure security of heat and electricity supply.

In addition, the Sejm adopted amendments by the Senate to An act introducing vetting of all employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Polish foreign posts and units supervised by the Minister of Foreign Affairs appointed on the basis of separate regulations. The bill will go to the President.

The MPs adopted the reports of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy on the implementation of the Maluch Plus programme in 2015-2017. The aim of the program is to enable people to combine work with childcare and increase the number of nursery places. Between 2015 and 2017, the number of care institutions increased by 43 percent. At the end of 2017, there were 4271 institutions when in 2015 there were less than 3,000.

The Sejm did not agree to reject in the first reading a draft amendment to the Act on Provincial Self-Government. The draft provides for the introduction of the requirement to obtain consent of the Sejm to announce a break in sessions. It will now go to the Committee on Local Self-Government and Regional Policy.

The deputies dismissed MP Łukasz Schreiber from the composition of the Secretaries of the Sejm. Grzegorz Puda MP was appointed in his place.

In addition, the Sejm made changes to the composition of the parliamentary committees.

The penultimate item of the work of the Sejm on the third day of the session was the second reading of the Budget Act for 2019. The rapporteur of the Committee on Public Finance, Andrzej Kosztowniak, informed the House that the KFP is requesting the adoption of the Act. In the draft budget, the government adopted revenues of PLN 387.6 billion, i.e. higher by 5.5 percent compared to the 2018 budget. At the same time, the forecast assumes an increase in tax revenues by 5.6 percent. The budget will ensure the financing of state functions and preserve the stability of public finances. After more than six hours of debate on the bill, it was referred back to the Public Accounts Committee due to amendments.

The deputies have chosen a new member of the Reprivatization Committee. Sławomir Potapowicz replaced Paweł Rabiej.

The last item of the 74th session of the Sejm was a discussion on the Civic Platform's motion to express a vote of no confidence in the Council of Ministers led by the Prime Minister Mr. Mateusz Morawiecki and to elect Mr. Grzegorz Schetyna as the Prime Minister. After a debate, the Sejm decided to reject the motion. 163 deputies voted in favor of the motion, 233 voted against. 20 deputies abstained.

Read more: www.sejm.gov.pl