The Saeima ¹ has adopted and
the President has proclaimed the following law:

On Temporary Additional Requirements for the Work of Members of the Saeima and Councillors of Local Government Councils

Section 1. The purpose of this Law is to determine temporary additional requirements for the participation of members of the Saeima in sittings of the Saeima, committees, specially established committees, sub-committees, groups of members, working groups of members of Saeima, the Council of Parliamentary Groups, and the Presidium of the Saeima, in other events organised by the Saeima or units of the Saeima, and also in the foreign policy work of the Saeima (hereinafter - the work of the Saeima), and also temporary requirements for carrying out the work of a councillor of a local government council in order:

1) to ensure action corresponding to the public health and safety interests in the circumstances of the spread of COVID-19 infection;

2) to promote trust in the policy for the management of the spread of COVID-19 infection implemented in the country;

3) to show solidarity with officials and employees of other State and local government authorities, including capital companies, in ensuring fair treatment in the implementation of the measures for the minimisation of the spread of COVID-19 infection;

4) to increase trust in activity of the State and local government authorities, including the Saeima.

Section 2. Only such member of the Saeima is entitled to participate in the work of the Saeima from 15 November 2021 who, in accordance with the procedures laid down in this Law, has presented an interoperable COVID-19 certificate which certifies the fact of vaccination or recovery, and also a member who has received an opinion of a specialist or a council of the clinical university hospital on the necessity to postpone vaccination for a definite period of time and has presented an interoperable certificate regarding a negative test result (hereinafter - the certificate).

Section 3. A member of the Saeima has an obligation to present the certificate to the Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee by 15 November 2021 unless the member has previously submitted the information on the certificate to the Administration of the Saeima. The Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee shall, at the nearest sitting of the Saeima, report on the members who have not presented the certificate and therefore are not entitled to participate in the work of the Saeima.

Section 4. If a member has obtained and presented the certificate after 15 November 2021, the Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee shall report thereon at the nearest sitting of the Saeima.

Section 5. The disbursement of the monthly wage and compensation is discontinued for a member who, in accordance with Section 2 of this Law, is not entitled to participate in the work of the Saeima. The disbursement of the monthly wage and compensation of a member of the Saeima is renewed from the day when the member has presented the certificate to the Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee.

Section 6. The Presidium of the Saeima shall, not less than once in two months from the day of coming into force of this Law, assess the necessity for the preservation of the restrictions specified in this Law.

Section 7. Only such councillor who has obtained and presented the certificate to the local government election commission is entitled to implement the term of office of a councillor of the local government council. The local government election commission shall, in the nearest sitting of the council, report on the councillors who have not presented the certificate.

Section 8. If a councillor of the local government council has not obtained and presented the certificate, the term of office of the councillor shall be suspended by taking a relevant decision of the council. The chairperson of the council shall, without delay, notify the local government election commission of suspending the term of office of the councillor according to the decision of the council. The next candidate who has obtained the certificate shall assume his or her office in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 43 of the Law on the Election of Local Government Councils for the time period while the term of office of the councillor is suspended.

Section 9. If the substituted councillor of the local government council obtains the certificate, he or she shall, within a week, present it to the local government election commission and submit a submission to the chairperson of the council regarding resuming the fulfilment of the duties of the councillor. After the chairperson of the council has received the submission regarding resuming the fulfilment of the duties of the councillor, he or she shall, without delay, notify the local government election commission thereof and inform councillors at the next sitting of the council. From the moment when the relevant information has been provided at a sitting of the council, the term of office of the councillor invited in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 43 of the Law on the Election of Local Government Councils shall expire and the substituted councillor shall resume the fulfilment of the duties of the councillor. If the substituted councillor was the chairperson or vice-chairperson of the council, he or she shall resume the fulfilment of the duties of office of the chairperson or vice-chairperson of the council if the council has not removed him or her from the office in accordance with the procedures laid down in the law On Local Governments.

The Law shall come into force on the day following its proclamation and shall be in force until 1 July 2022.

The Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 12 November 2021.

President E. Levits

Rīga, 13 November 2021

¹ The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia

Translation © 2021 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)