Documents and Laws in Parliament

Scope: Part One–Part Three; Section 13b; pages 1–4.

The amendment extends the increase in parental allowance to include a change to the law on childcare groups: municipalities are now required to provide care or financial compensation for children as young as 2 years and 6 months, instead of the previous age of 3 years. This expands assistance to parents who want or need to return to work earlier, provided the child has not been admitted to a local preschool and the legal conditions are met. The new obligation for municipalities regarding children between 2.5 and 3 years of age will take effect no earlier than September 1, 2027. Thus, in addition to social support, the proposal also strengthens the availability of care for younger children and places greater demands on municipalities.

Scope: pages 1–2.

The document is a resolution of the Committee on Social Policy regarding the government’s amendment to the Act on State Social Support. The Committee recommends that the Chamber of Deputies approve the proposal and instructs the rapporteur to present it to the plenary and ensure any necessary technical legislative adjustments. The text does not contain any amendments; it is a statement of support for the main proposal, including the increase in the parental allowance.

Scope: pages 1–4.

The government supports the proposed amendment to the Packaging Act but points out several significant issues that need to be addressed. In particular, it criticizes the unclear definition of conflicts of interest and the independence of authorized packaging companies from waste management companies, which may cause difficulties in interpretation and application. At the same time, it points out legislative technical shortcomings and potential constitutional concerns, as the draft could force companies to reduce their capital and shareholders to limit their stakes. According to the government, the proposed effective date of July 1, 2026, is unrealistic.

Scope: Part One–Part Three; § 38a–§ 38b; pages 1–6.

The amendment expands the original amendment to the Sickness Insurance Act and extends the deadline for taking paternity leave from the current 6 weeks to 1 year from the child’s birth or the child’s placement in the parent’s care. The duration of paternity leave itself remains unchanged at 2 weeks; only the period during which it can be taken is being modified. Special rules regarding the death of a child or hospitalization remain in effect. The new provision is also to apply to children born or taken into care before the law takes effect, provided that one year has not yet elapsed and paternity leave has not yet been taken.

Scope: Section 31; pages 1–5.

An amendment to the bill on state social support removes the condition that a child under 2 years of age may attend a childcare facility for only a limited number of hours—120 hours per month—while receiving parental benefits. This amends the main bill so that, in addition to increasing the parental allowance, it also relaxes the rules on children’s attendance and reduces the administrative burden on parents, providers, and authorities. The proposal aims to make it easier to balance childcare and work. At the same time, it stipulates that the months prior to the law’s effective date will be assessed according to the existing rules, so that past periods will not be retroactively reassessed.

Scope: Sections 30–30; pages 1–5.

The amendment to the main bill does not change the total amount of the parental allowance, but it expands the options for drawing it more quickly. For parents with a sufficient daily assessment base, the monthly limit increases from 70% of thirty times the daily assessment base to the full thirty times; for parents of multiple births, it increases correspondingly to twice this amount. A transitional provision is introduced, under which the new rules will apply only from the month the law takes effect, with no retroactive effect on previous months. At the same time, it allows for a new choice of benefit amount to be made immediately after the law takes effect, without waiting three months from the previous choice.

Scope: pages 1–5.

The amendment extends the increased parental allowance to families with a youngest child or multiple births born or placed in foster care as early as October 1, 2026, instead of the originally proposed January 1, 2027. It amends the transitional rules so that no entitlement to retroactive payment arises for the period prior to the law’s effective date, but amounts already paid will be credited toward the new, higher total amount. If the current limit has already been exhausted, after the law takes effect, only the remaining portion up to the new limit may be paid out, provided other conditions are met. The proposal thus mitigates the disparity between families in very similar situations.

Scope: Section 30; pages 1–10.

The amendment introduces automatic indexation of the parental allowance in line with consumer price growth so that, after the increase to CZK 400,000 starting in 2027, its value will not be further eroded by inflation. The increase is to be assessed as of January 1 each year, but only if prices rise by at least 1%; if the threshold is not met, inflation is carried over to subsequent years. The first possible increase is set to take effect on January 1, 2028, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs will announce the result annually by September 30. The proposal does not change the group of eligible persons or the rules for claiming the benefit, but it may increase state budget expenditures.

Scope: Part Two–Part Five; § 14–§ 35; pages 1–5.

The amendment modifies the Hunting Act by repealing the authority of gamekeepers to kill stray dogs and cats in hunting grounds; the original provision is therefore deleted. At the same time, the related provisions are amended so that the reporting obligation following killing now applies only to feral domestic animals and marked animals from farm breeding, and the relevant sections of the Act are renumbered. The proposal also narrows the authority of the gamekeeper, who will no longer be permitted to kill dogs, cats, and feral domestic animals. The main objective is to strengthen the protection of domestic animals and limit disproportionate interventions by gamekeepers against dogs and cats.

Scope: Part Two–Part Three; § 14–§ 7; pages 1–11.

The amendment extends the amendment to the Plant Health Act to include animal welfare and game management. It prohibits burrowing, i.e., hunting game underground using dogs or digging them out for the purpose of killing them, and newly prohibits the captive breeding of red foxes with the narrow exception of cases where consent is not required under the Game Act. At the same time, the existing provision allowing the temporary keeping of foxes for the training of hunting dogs is repealed; although previously issued permits remain formally valid, such use of foxes will no longer be permitted once the law takes effect. The proposal aims to reduce the suffering of both foxes and hunting dogs and also highlights the potential benefits for natural pest control in the countryside.

Scope: Section 7z; pages 1–2.

The amendment adds a new special measure to the law targeting selected individuals cooperating with the Russian Federation, specifically Russian diplomats and their staff accredited in other Schengen states, as well as their family members. These individuals would now be permitted to enter, stay in, or transit through the Czech Republic only with the prior consent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the exception of officially announced official trips. The police are to monitor compliance with this requirement, and any violation may result in denial of entry or proceedings under immigration law. The proposal is justified by security risks, particularly concerns about the abuse of diplomatic cover for hostile activities, and is explicitly based on the EU sanctions framework and Schengen rules.

Scope: Part One–Part Four; § 14–§ 7; pages 1–4.

The amendment extends the original amendment on plant health care to include animal protection and game management. It newly prohibits burrowing, i.e., hunting game underground using dogs or digging them out for the purpose of killing them, and at the same time prohibits the captive breeding of red foxes for these purposes; the existing option for the temporary keeping of foxes for dog training is repealed, though previously issued permits remain valid. The proposal is justified by the protection of animals from cruel treatment and the assertion that more humane methods of game management exist. In practice, this represents a significant restriction on traditional hunting practices in favor of animal welfare.

Scope: Part Eight; Sections 14–7; pages 1–4.

The amendment adds a ban on burrowing—that is, hunting game underground using dogs or digging them out for the purpose of killing them—to the amendment, and at the same time prohibits the captive breeding of red foxes for these purposes. At the same time, it repeals the existing provision of the Hunting Act that allowed the temporary keeping of foxes for the training of hunting dogs, while permits already issued are to remain valid. The proposal is justified primarily by the protection of animals from cruel treatment and the assertion that burrowing is now a marginal and replaceable hunting method. The text also includes a technical amendment to the provisions on administrative offenses, adding a new section and renumbering the remaining sections.

Scope: Part One–Part Three; Sections 1–20; pages 1–28.

The bill introduces a new statutory system of master craftsman qualifications and master craftsman examinations for selected skilled trades and agricultural professions in order to officially certify the highest level of professional skills. It sets forth the conditions for participation, the structure of the three-part examination, rules for examination boards, the issuance of master’s certificates, and the public registry of qualifications and their holders. The Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Agriculture are granted new explicit authority to organize these examinations and issue master’s certificates, while the relevant ministries oversee the system. The aim is to enhance the prestige of the trades, strengthen consumer confidence, and improve employment opportunities for qualified professionals; the law is proposed to take effect on January 1, 2027.