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On January 13, chaired by Narek Zeynalyan, the regular siting of the RA NA Standing Committee on Health Care was held.

The Committee members debated in the first reading and endorsed the draft law on Amending the Law on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances authored by the deputies Narek Zeynalyan, Lusine Badalyan, Hrachya Hakobyan, Emma Palyan and Hripsime Hunanyan.

As the key rapporteur Narek Zeynalyan has presented, according to the current law, a license is required to conduct examinations for those using narcotic drugs and psychotropic (psychoactive) substances. There are also exceptions for Non-Commercial State Organizations subordinated to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice and for relevant subdivisions of Police. The key rapporteur noted that the “National Bureau of Expertises” Non-Commercial State Organization of the RA National Academy of Sciences was left out from the list of mentioned exceptions. The bill proposes to remove Non-Commercial State Organizations subordinated to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health from the list of exceptions, leaving only the relevant subdivision of Police, which, in fact, is a supervisory body.

As a result of the adoption of the draft, equal conditions will be provided for the organizations conducting forensic examinations envisaged by the procedures of the RA Criminal Procedure.

The co-rapporteur, the First RA Deputy Minister of Health Lena Nanushyan informed that the draft was debated and the final, revised version was submitted to the Committee.