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The Government has the authority to set the prices of the support measures provided to persons with disabilities, and in this case, it was also necessary to issue repair certificates based on the certificates, and in order for the Government to be able to set their price range and prices clearly, it was necessary to provide an authorizing norm. The RA Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Tatevik Stephanyan said this presenting the legislative package on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law on Rights of Persons with Disabilities and on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law on Assessment of Functionality of Person for debate authored by the Government in the first reading at the sitting of the National Assembly on September 11. The key rapporteur informed that based on the legal practice, certain technical corrections are being made.

The purpose of the package is to clarify the authorizing norms of the law. Some authorizing norms have been edited, and the authorizing norm regarding the annual programme has been removed from the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

It is designed to develop methodological guidelines for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities and their social inclusion, as well as the provision of support measures, if necessary, taking into consideration the specifics of some cases. In the context of the transition to the assessment of the person’s functionality, it is necessary to establish appropriate regulations to implement the provisions of the Interstate Agreement. The draft authorizes the Government to define these features.

Mariam Poghosyan presented the endorsement of the NA Standing Committee on Labor and Social Affairs.

During the exchange of ideas, the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Health Care Narek Zeynalyan touched upon the issue of drug provision, noting that according to the current law, persons with disabilities of the first and second groups receive 100% of their medicines from the state, and persons with disabilities of the third group receive 50% compensation, i.e. 50 the percentage is paid by persons with disabilities of the third group. “According to the amendment of the current law, it is planned that persons with disabilities of the third group or persons with a slight disturbance of the person’s functionality will also receive 100% compensation for medicines,” the deputy said.

The deputy Zaruhi Batoyan presented her concerns about the proposed amendments, suggesting the authors of the initiative revising some provisions of the draft. “We must keep the annual programme,” she said, adding that we should not be afraid of additional programmes and efforts, considering that people with disabilities are the most vulnerable class in our country. The deputy urged not to give up another norm authorizing the programme of measures for the transformation of care services for persons with disabilities.