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  Navigation:   Political Systems Catalogue>> Central Public Authorities>> Legislature>> Russian Federation Legislature>> 
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The Status and Powers of the Federation Council
 The Federation Council is the upper chamber of the Federal Assembly - the Parliament of the Russian Federation. Under the Chapter 2, Article 95 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation two representatives from each of the subjects of the Federation enter the Federation's Council. One represents representative and the other executive bodies of the government correspondingly.

The chamber consists of the representatives elected by legislative (representative) bodies of the government of the subjects of the Russian Federation, or appointed by the supreme officials of the subjects of the Russian Federation (the heads of the supreme bodies of government of the subjects of the Russian Federation). The term of office of such representatives is defined by the term of office of the bodies that elected or appointed them, however, powers of the representatives may be canceled by the same bodies before the appointed time.

For the post of a member of the Federation Council may be elected a citizen of the Russian Federation not younger than 30 years old, possessing under the Constitution of the Russian Federation the right to elect and be elected to the bodies of the government.

The Council of Federation is a permanent body. The sessions are held not less than two times a month. The sessions are the basic form of the Federation Council's work. They are held separately from the sessions of the State Duma, with the exception of hearing of messages of the President of the Russian Federation or the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and speeches of the foreign states' heads.

The Federation Council Sessions are held in Moscow, in the period from January, 25 till July, 15 and from September, 16 till December, 31. All sessions are public. The place of a session may be changed under the decision of the Council; a private form of a session is also possible.

The Federation Council elects the Chairman of the Council, his first deputy and other deputies, who lead the sessions and are in charge of the internal schedule of the Chamber. Besides, the Federation Council Chairman E.S.Stroev was elected the Honourable Chairman of the Federation Council (this post is perpetual). E.S.Stroev, and the Chairman of the Council of the first convocation V.F. Shumeiko were assigned special seats in the Hall of Sessions of the Federation Council and offices in the building of the Chamber, they also possess special certificates and badges; these people are empowered by the right of a deliberative vote and some other rights.

The Federation Council forms committees, permanent and interim commissions out of the members of the Chamber. The Federation Council has the right to create, abolish and reorganize any committees and commissions.

Committees and permanent commissions under the Federation Council are the permanent bodies of the Chamber. All the members of the Council except for the Chairman and his deputies enter the committees. A member of the Council may be a member of only one committee of the Chamber, and the committee should consist of not less than 7 members of the Council. The staff of each committee and commission is approved by the Chamber.

The following committees and commissions function permanently under the Federation Council:

- The Federation Council Committee for Constitutional Legislation;

- The Federation Council Committee for Legal and Judicial Issues;

- The Federation Council Committee for Federation and Regional Policy Issues;

- The Federation Council Committee for Local Government Issues;

- The Federation Council Committee for Defense and Security;

- The Federation Council Committee for Budget Issues;

- The Federation Council Committee for Financial Markets and Monetary Circulation Issues;

- The Federation Council Committee for Interaction with Accounting Chamber of the Russian Federation;

- The Federation Council Committee for International Affairs;

- The Federation Council Committee for the Commonwealth of Independent States Issues;

- The Federation Council Commission for the Order and Organizations of Parliamentary activity;

- The Federation Council Commission for Methodology of Realization of Constitutional Powers of the Federation Council;

- The Federation Council Committee for Social Policy;

- The Federation Council Committee for Science, Culture, Education, Public Health and Ecology;

- The Federation Council Committee for Youth Affairs and Sports;

- The Federation Council Committee for Economic Policy, Business and Property;

- The Federation Council Committee for Industrial Policy;

- The Federation Council Commission for Natural Monopolies;

- The Federation Council Committee for Natural Resources and Preservation of the Environment;

- The Federation Council Committee for Food Policy;

- The Federation Council Committee for the North and Small Peoples Issues;

- The Federation Council Commission for Information Policy;

- The Federation Council Commission for Control of Maintenance of the Federation Council Activity.

Committees and permanent commissions under the Federation Council have equal rights and equal duties on realization of the constitutional powers of the Chamber: they carry out preparations of decisions on federal legislation accepted by the State Duma and delivered to the Federation Council, develop and preliminary examine bills and projects of other normative legal acts, organize parliamentary hearings, etc.

Term of office of interim commissions is limited to a certain term or specific targets.

Powers of the Federation Council are determined by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The basic function of the Chamber is realization of legislative powers. The order of consideration of federal constitutional and federal legislation correspondingly approved or accepted by the State Duma, is defined by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and regulations of the Council.

Organization of legislative work in the Federation Council is carried out in two basic directions:

- The Federation Council participates in development of bills, consideration of laws and accepts certain resolution in conference with the State Duma;

- By way of realization of the right to legislative initiative the Federation Council independently develops projects of federal laws and federal constitutional laws.

The Federation Council's competence also includes:

- Approval of changes of the borders between the subjects of the Russian Federation;

- Approval of decrees of the President of the Russian Federation on introduction of military law or the state of emergency;

- Taking decision on issues of use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation outside the territory of the Russian Federation;

- Fixing of the President of the Russian Federation elections;

- Suspension of the President of the Russian Federation;

- Assignment of judges of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the Superior Arbitration Tribunal of the Russian Federation;

- Assignment and dismission of the Public Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation;

- Assignment and dismission of the Vice-President of the Accounting Chamber and half of its auditors.

The Federation Council as well as each member of the Federation Council has the right to legislative initiative.

The Federation Council accepts regulations that minutely define the bodies and the operating procedure of the Federation Council, order of participation of the Chamber in legislative activity, order of consideration of issues referred to competence of the Federation Council.

The Status of the Federation Council's Member is defined by the Constitution of the Russian Federation under which the members of the Federation Council enjoy immunity during the whole term of office. They may not be detained, arrested, searched, except cases of red-handed arrest.

Besides, the status of a member of the Federation Council is regulated by the Federal law "On the Status of a Member of the Federation Council and the Status of a Deputy of the State Duma at the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation" (the Federal Law redaction July, 5, 1999 133-FZ).



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