Documents and Laws in Parliament

The Constitutional Law Committee of the Chamber of Deputies discussed the draft amendment to the Construction Act and related laws. Following the speeches by the representative of the petitioners, the rapporteur and the general debate, the Committee decided to suspend the consideration of the Chamber of Deputies’ Draft Bill 67. The resolution is therefore a procedural step only and does not contain substantive amendments to the law.

The Economic Committee of the Chamber of Deputies suspended the discussion of the government’s bill on obligations related to the repair of products (the so-called right to repair). At the same time, it has set a timetable for further consideration, including a deadline for the submission of written amendments by 5 May 2026 and the submission of summary material by the Ministry by 12 May 2026. The actual discussion of the proposal in the Committee is scheduled for 14 May 2026. The document therefore only modifies the procedure and timetable for consideration of the Bill.

The Economic Committee of the Chamber of Deputies has suspended the discussion of the government’s bill related to the introduction of electronic communications networks with very high capacity. At the same time, it set a timetable for further discussion of the proposal. Deputies may submit amendments until 5 May 2026, after which the Ministry will prepare a summary of the amendments by 12 May 2026. The actual discussion in the Committee is scheduled for 14 May 2026.

The Economic Committee of the Chamber of Deputies has suspended the discussion of the government’s bill on reducing the costs of deploying electronic communications networks with very high capacity. At the same time, it set a timetable for further discussion. The amendments are to be submitted by 5 May 2026, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade will prepare their summary material by 12 May 2026.

The Budget Committee of the Chamber of Deputies recommends the approval of the amendment to the Investment Companies and Investment Funds Act with a number of amendments. The amendments refine the rules for the operation of investment funds, for example, removing the condition that a certain legal entity must have its registered office abroad and changing certain requirements for the management and organisation of funds. It also provides that at least two managers must devote full-time equivalent time to the performance of their duties. Other amendments are mainly of a legislative and technical nature and regulate terminology, references between sections and transitional periods for bringing funds into line with the law.

The Committee on Agriculture recommends that the amendment to the Plant Health Care Act be approved with a number of modifications. The amendments, among other things, modify the rules for the application of plant protection products (including the use of drones), change the obligations for keeping and transmitting records and introduce measures to protect organically managed land from pesticide encroachment. At the same time, several related laws are being amended - for example, extending the social insurance rebates for seasonal work to hops and vines, introducing new obligations for food businesses to preserve pathogens and strengthening the State’s veterinary and inspection powers. The amendment also modifies certain animal protection rules, veterinary controls and food and fisheries supervision.

The document contains a written interpellation from MEP Marian Jurečka to Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik regarding the planned introduction of mandatory basic knowledge of the Czech language for drivers of taxi services and transport platforms. The MEP asks about the justification for this measure, its possible extension to other professions and also asks whether the same principle would apply to members of the government. In reply, the Minister stated that language skills were necessary, particularly for road safety, communication with passengers and understanding traffic instructions. He also rejects comparisons with other services and stresses the specific responsibility of taxi drivers for safety.

The Act adapts Czech law to the European eIDAS 2 Regulation and introduces the European digital identity wallet, electronic attribute confirmations and a new system of trust services. Public authorities and some private entities will have to gradually adopt digital identification and attribute confirmation, with the Digital and Information Agency taking over the supervision and management of the systems. New technical, security and record-keeping obligations are imposed on providers of these services and a wide-ranging system of penalties of up to €130 million or 1% of global turnover is introduced. It also introduces free qualified electronic signatures for individuals for non-professional purposes and changes administrative fees, for example increasing some fees from CZK 25,000 to CZK 50,000.

The bill extensively amends the rules for regulating advertising, particularly for human medicines, medical devices, diagnostic devices and certain foods, including infant formula. It clarifies the definitions of advertising, sets stricter conditions for marketing, limits gifts and hospitality to professionals and prohibits certain practices that encourage excessive consumption. It also establishes rules for patient programs, special protections for children in advertising, and more precise liability for advertisers. It strengthens supervision by state authorities and harmonises offences and penalties, with fines of up to CZK 5 million.

The government has expressed its disagreement with the Senate’s draft amendment to the Capital Market Enterprise Act. According to the government, the amendment, which is intended to allow only a proportionate application of certain obligations for investment intermediaries, would weaken legal certainty and make the rules more difficult to enforce. The proposal would also weaken the regulation of remuneration of investment intermediaries and their tied agents, which could increase conflicts of interest and reduce customer protection. The Government therefore recommends not to adopt the proposal.

The Government discussed a Senate bill amending the Act on Elections to Municipal Councils (No 491/2001 Coll.). After examining the proposal at its meeting on 30 March 2026, it adopted a favourable opinion on it. In doing so, the Government expresses its support for the proposed amendment to the electoral rules in municipalities, including changes related to by-elections to municipal councils.

The Government discussed the Senate’s draft amendment to Act No. 95/2004 Coll., which regulates the conditions for the acquisition and recognition of professional and specialised competence of doctors, dentists and pharmacists. After examining the proposal, it adopted a favourable opinion on it. The document therefore expresses the Government’s official support for this draft law. This enables the legislative process of changes to the system of specialised training of health professionals to continue.

The amendment modifies the draft law on supplementary pension savings so as to maintain the penalty-free exit of so-called “locked” participants from the system after the award of an old-age pension. At the same time, it abolishes provisions that were intended to retroactively compensate state contributions to people who have already left the scheme. The aim is to address only the situation of people who are effectively trapped in the scheme, not to compensate retrospectively for earlier individual decisions by participants. At the same time, the related tax exemption for these compensations is abolished, while the penalty-free exit tax regime is maintained.

The government has taken a neutral position on the MPs’ proposal to repeal the law on limiting retail sales hours during certain public holidays. It states that similar regulation is common in Western Europe and Czech consumers have become accustomed to it. He also recalled that the Constitutional Court had previously upheld the law as constitutional and that its aim was to support small and medium-sized businesses and to strengthen family and social time during holidays. At the same time, the Government pointed out that the decision to work on public holidays was not solely up to the employee but stemmed from an agreement with the employer.

The Government discussed the draft amendment to the Social Services and Disability Benefits Acts and issued a favourable opinion on it. The proposal amends the rules for the provision of social services and benefits for persons with disabilities and related laws. The opinion confirms the Government’s support for the discussion and adoption of the proposal in the Chamber of Deputies.

The Government discussed a proposal by MP Aleš Juchelka to amend the Act on State Social Support and the related Act on State Social Assistance Benefits. After examining the proposal, it adopted a favourable opinion on the submitted proposal. The document therefore expresses the Government’s official support for this legislative proposal. The opinion itself does not contain further substantive changes, but merely confirms the Government’s agreement with the proposal.

The Government has expressed its disapproval of the MPs’ proposal, which increases tax benefits for children, changes the rules on parental allowance, extends the possibility of drawing paternity pay and extends the nursing allowance. It states that it wants to address the increase in parental allowance with the government’s own proposal from 2027 and disagrees in particular with the increase in the maximum monthly drawdown. It also criticises the high budgetary impact of the proposed increase in tax relief (up to CZK 18 billion a year) and the lack of justification for its financing. According to the government, the proposal would also undermine the original purpose of the paternity allowance and increase the cost of health insurance and the burden on employers.

The government has issued a disapproving opinion on the MPs’ draft amendment to the Income Tax Act, which changes the basic taxpayer discount into a tax benefit paid also in the form of a tax bonus. According to the government, the proposal is too complex, contains ambiguities and may increase the administrative burden and opacity of the tax system. It also criticises the possible disadvantage of the self-employed, the lack of clarity for taxpayers with more than one type of income and the problems of proving premiums paid. It also draws attention to possible disputes for non-resident taxpayers and to the negative impact on public budgets of hundreds of millions of crowns per year.

The government has taken a neutral position on the MP’s proposal that allows municipalities to regulate short-term accommodation in flats in apartment buildings. It recognizes that short-term rentals can increase the tourist burden on cities, degrade the quality of life for residents and reduce housing affordability. At the same time, it points out that regulation should be data-driven and linked to the implementation of the European Regulation on the collection of data on short-term rentals. The Government also draws attention to the possible unequal status between flats and detached houses and to some of the legislative and technical shortcomings of the proposal.

The amendment significantly changes the system for assessing eligibility for housing support measures. It abolishes the compulsory binding opinion of the Labour Office and its regular reassessment of the situation of households and shifts decision-making to housing contact points. The existing assessment mechanism is replaced by a new income ceiling, which is now set at the household’s subsistence level plus 1.5 times the minimum wage, so that working households can also receive support. At the same time, the “housing eligibility” criterion, the counting of savings and related government regulations are abolished, which is intended to simplify administration and widen the range of persons supported.