Documents and Laws in Parliament

Scope: Section 302; pages 1–2.

The proposed amendment extends the newly introduced special criminal protection against killing without lawful cause and with a reprehensible motive to include the lowland gorilla as well. In addition to cats and dogs, this species of primate would thus also be explicitly protected. The proposal challenges the notion that greater protection for animals should depend solely on whether they are commonly kept as pets in households.

Scope: Section 302; pages 1–3.

The amendment extends the newly proposed criminal offense of killing an animal out of reprehensible motives without lawful cause to include the killer whale as well. The existing list of cats and dogs is thus amended to include cats, dogs, and orcas. The explanatory memorandum emphasizes the orca’s advanced cognitive and social abilities and challenges protection based solely on the common practice of keeping the animal as a pet.

Scope: pages 1–2.

The amendment extends the newly proposed criminal offense of killing an animal out of reprehensible motives without lawful grounds to include bonobos as well. Alongside cats and dogs, this species would thus be afforded special protection under criminal law. The proposal highlights the bonobos’ high cognitive and social abilities and challenges the notion that greater protection should depend solely on how common it is to keep the animal as a pet.

Scope: pages 1–3.

The amendment extends the new criminal offense of killing an animal out of reprehensible motives without lawful cause to include the bottlenose dolphin. In addition to cats and dogs, this species is to receive special protection under criminal law. The proposal challenges the notion that a higher level of protection should depend solely on how commonly the animal is kept in Czech households.

Scope: Section 302; pages 1–2.

The amendment extends the proposed criminal offense of killing an animal out of reprehensible motives without lawful cause to include the Sumatran orangutan. In addition to cats and dogs, this critically endangered species is to receive special protection under criminal law. The proposal challenges the notion that increased protection should depend solely on whether the animal is commonly kept in Czech households, and emphasizes the orangutan’s abilities and its closeness to humans.

Scope: pages 1–2.

The amendment extends the newly proposed criminal offense of killing an animal out of reprehensible motives without lawful grounds to include bonobos as well. Alongside cats and dogs, this species would thus be afforded special protection under criminal law. The proposal highlights the bonobos’ high cognitive and social abilities and challenges the notion that greater protection should depend solely on how common it is to keep the animal as a pet.

Scope: Section 302; pages 1–2.

The amendment extends special criminal protection against the killing of cats and dogs out of reprehensible motives and without lawful cause to include chimpanzees as well. It justifies this on the basis of the chimpanzee’s high level of social and cognitive development, its sensitivity to inappropriate treatment, and the strict international protection afforded to the species. The proposal is not intended to restrict legal breeding but to penalize specific cases of the killing of chimpanzees.

Scope: Part One; Sections 28a–28c; pages 1–2.

The proposed amendment allows a municipality to transfer ownership of an abused animal to the state three months after the animal has been seized, even if the original owner is covering the costs of foster care. This applies only if the owner cannot be expected to reform and provide proper future care for the animal. A decision on the transfer may be made even before the final conclusion of administrative or criminal proceedings, so that the animal can be permanently handed over to a new owner.

Scope: Section 302; pages 1–4.

The amendment expands the newly proposed criminal offense of killing an animal out of reprehensible motives and without legal justification from cats and dogs to all animals. It is thus intended to unify animal protection and remove species-specific restrictions, which the sponsors consider unjustified. The increase in the penalty for animal cruelty from six months to three years to one to three years remains unchanged.

Scope: Part One–Part Six; § 11–§ 79; pages 1–21.

The amendment expands the main bill to include related changes; in particular, it introduces verifiable criminal record extracts for work with children, the validity of which can be verified remotely for up to five years. An older verifiable extract may then replace the repeated submission of a new extract, for example, during school field trips and recreational events; these rules are to take effect on July 1, 2027. Individuals who are already working with children in designated professions will have to submit a criminal record check for work with children by March 31, 2027; the previous provisions regarding these obligations in Act No. 270/2025 Coll. are repealed and replaced by this new solution.

Scope: Part One–Part Eight; § 33–§ 17; page 1.

The amendment expands the main bill to include comprehensive provisions on combating human trafficking, including criminalizing the knowing use of the services of a trafficked person and providing broader protection for victims, particularly children. It clarifies the criminalization of the misuse of pornographic and intimate materials, including materials created through exploitation, and allows, under specified conditions, for the termination of criminal proceedings against a victim forced to commit a crime. It also introduces insurance and safety rules for community service; the amendments concerning the non-payment of child support remain in place, while the general effective date is postponed to the fifteenth day after promulgation.

Scope: Part Two; Section 24; pages 1–4.

The amendment expands the group of victims entitled to financial assistance to include victims of human trafficking. The assistance is intended to cover the costs of psychotherapy, physical therapy, or other professional services aimed at remedying non-pecuniary harm. This is not an automatic lump-sum payment; the general conditions and the current maximum amount of assistance remain in effect.

Scope: Part Two–Part Six; § 11–§ 79; pages 1–21.

The amendment introduces electronically verifiable criminal record extracts for work with children, the validity of which can be verified remotely for up to five years without disclosing the identity or content of the extract. It allows for representation based on authorization recorded in the register of rights and obligations and imposes a fee for requests to revoke verification as well as for the issuance of an extract. For outdoor schools and recreational events, it replaces the repeated submission of a new extract with verification of a previously issued extract; at the same time, it requires selected staff working with children to submit an extract by March 31, 2027. The effective date of the main proposal is postponed from July 1, 2026, to January 1, 2027, while the rules related to the verification of extracts are to take effect on July 1, 2027.

Scope: Sections 41–48; pages 1–3.

The amendment establishes a transitional regime for older loans, credits, grants, and debt guarantees provided by collective systems prior to the effective date of the Act on End-of-Life Products. These relationships must be reported to the ministry, supported by an audit, and monitored on an ongoing basis; loans and credits may continue until their original maturity dates, but no later than 36 months after the amendment takes effect. Operators must not impair the enforceability of claims and must actively terminate other relationships and recover the funds. The returned funds must be transferred to the collective system’s reserve; an exemption from penalties applies only in the case of a proven objective obstacle.

Scope: Section 54; pages 1–5.

The amendment introduces a disclosure requirement for operators of collective systems that hold a monopoly position for a specific type of product. The public would be able to request information on the system’s financial management, reserves, costs, contracts, and compliance with legal obligations under the Freedom of Information Act. The obligation is limited to activities regulated by law and preserves the protection of personal data and trade secrets.

Scope: Sections 48–125; pages 1–4.

The amendment standardizes the mandatory financial reserve for collective systems for end-of-life products at 25% of annual costs, instead of the varying rate, which was to be 50% for electrical equipment. It repeals the new obligation for members of a collective system to make up for any shortfall in the reserve, as well as the related administrative offense; liability and penalties remain with the system operator. The administrative offense for failing to ensure take-back remains in place.

Scope: Part One–Part Four; § 2–§ 131; pages 1–19.

The amendment introduces extended producer responsibility for textiles, related products, and footwear in accordance with the new EU directive. Manufacturers will be required to register and mandatorily fund a collective system for nationwide collection, reuse, sorting, and recycling; generally effective April 17, 2028, and for micro-enterprises starting in 2029. Foreign online retailers must appoint an authorized representative, and platforms as well as logistics services will verify compliance with manufacturers’ obligations. The bill regulates cooperation with municipalities and social enterprises, the monitoring of the transport of used textiles, and new administrative offenses punishable by fines of up to 5 million CZK. The law also includes provisions concerning foreign nationals and their rights and obligations.

Scope: Sections 41–42; pages 1–5.

The amendment revises the rules governing the independence of operators of collective systems for the management of end-of-life products. It maintains the prohibition on their affiliation with waste management companies at the level of corporate groups, management, employees, and decision-making.

However, unlike the committee’s proposal, it omits the new § 42: the blanket prohibition on equity participation by partners in a collective system in waste management companies—as well as the related possibility of restricting their voting rights—is repealed. The sponsors justify this by citing the disproportionate impact of a categorical ban on the economy and the waste management sector.

Scope: Sections 3–83a; pages 1–6.

The amendment introduces a definition of a clearing center as the state-operated CENIA unified data interface for the exchange and verification of data between collective systems and municipalities. Collective systems must connect to it and use it to provide the specified data to municipalities and the Ministry of the Environment; municipalities may use it for mass communication and contract management. The goal is to prevent smaller systems from becoming administratively dependent on dominant authorized packaging companies and to ensure a neutral public infrastructure.

Scope: Page 1.

The amendment changes the penalty for killing an animal out of reprehensible motives: instead of a separate criminal offense applicable only to cats and dogs, it classifies it as a basic offense of animal cruelty applicable to all animals. The minimum sentence for this offense is increased from six months to one year; the penalty is to be one to three years. The subsequent points of the original proposal are deleted because they are no longer necessary, and the remaining point is renumbered.