Draft bill #9559 of August 4, 2023 

Cosponsors: a group of 28 MPs from the Servant of the People faction with Dmytro Mykysha as the first signatory 

Status: submitted to the Verkhovna Rada 

Who is affected: residents of Ukraine, local councils, executive committees and permanent advisory committees of local communities, community heads, and the defense and security sector 

Summary of the bill: 

  • executive bodies of village, township, and city councils will have the following powers: 
    • develop and approve local budget programs to provide financial and material assistance for the security and defense sector while martial law is in effect 
    • provide financial and material assistance to the security and defense sector authorities while martial law is in effect 
  • while martial law is in effect and within 30 days after its termination or cancellation, the following regulations will apply: 
    • it will be allowed to hold plenary meetings of local councils, their executive committees, and permanent advisory committees via audio or video conferences, except for meetings requiring secret voting 
    • community heads will have the authority to decide whether meetings are to be held online if the issue is not regulated by charters of the local council, executive committee, or permanent advisory committee 
    • the format of online meetings should ensure the identification of participants, respect for all rights of councilors and members of the executive committee, and the ability to establish and record voting results 
    • online meetings should be held on urgent amendments to the budget, damage mitigation, and defense issues 

What is right: 

  • communities will be able to fund the security and defense sector under martial law independently and without setting a mandatory share of the local budget for defense needs. Thus, communities will be able to support state defense without spending too much funding from local budgets 
  • permission to hold meetings of local councils, executive committees, and permanent advisory committees on the most important issues online will help to keep local governments operational despite the war. 

What is wrong: the bill violates provisions of the Law on Local Self-Governance regarding the approvals of financial assistance programs for the security and defense sector. These decisions should be made by elected officials, in this case, by local councils. 

Alternative solution: give the power to make decisions regarding the approval of financial assistance programs for the security and defense sector and decisions on fund allocation to local councils. 

Background: after public discussions on how funding from local budgets should be spent, MP Serhii Hryvko submitted a draft bill that requires from communities to allocate 10% of their budgets for defense needs. This requirement would be an unbearable burden for most local budgets and roll back the achievements of decentralization reform.