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MOSCOW, July 8 (Itar-Tass) —— The State Duma has postponed the second (main) reading consideration of the government bill on the Fundamentals of Public Health Care in the Russian Federation till September. The decision was taken during the Friday morning discussion of the lower house’s work, after some opposition members said the document needed improving. Discussion of the bill was earlier included in the agenda for this Friday.
The house’s health care committee had active consultations in the past two days over the consideration of the bill at the second reading, said committee chairwoman Olga Borzova (United Russia). She said there were objections from the Finance Ministry and the Economic Development Ministry against amendments.
The Russian government believes it is possible to consider the bill in September, the legislator confirmed. According to her, the committee plans to submit it in the first week of September and asks to remove it from this Friday’s agenda.
Addressing Communist Party and Just Russia members, who criticized the draft law on Friday, Borzova noted that none of them was present on the ground of the committee for two and a half months. She also urged them “to read the draft law by the second reading”.
Speaker Boris Gryzlov announced the bill consideration was postponed, without a vote on the issue, since there were no objections.