The government wants to resolve the legal status of the Russian Red Cross

The Russian Red Cross (RSC) will be the first non -profit organization in the Russian Federation to be regulated by its own federal law. The government developed the draft of such a document on behalf of the president and entered the State Duma. It will be enshrined, in particular, the right of the RSC to participate in the salvation of people, the restoration of objects after emergencies and assisting the population. The authorities will be obliged to help organizations, as well as to protect its names and emblem from scammers.

The Government of the Russian Federation introduced a draft law into the State Duma, which will determine the legal status of the Russian Red Cross and the procedure for its interaction with the authorities. If the document is accepted, this will be the first time when the activities of the non -profit organization (NPO) will be regulated by a separate document of the federal level. Now the work of all public associations created at the initiative of citizens (with the exception of religious organizations) is regulated by the Law on Public Organizations.

The bill developed on behalf of the President in 2024 was a public discussion on regulation.gov.ru.

The legal status of the RSC in the legislation of the Russian Federation is not defined today, which creates “additional difficulties for its activity and does not correspond to the world practice that has developed on this issue”, explained the Ministry of Health (developer of the bill).

Own laws for Red Cross organizations were adopted in Italy, the USA, Japan, Canada, India, Brazil and other countries. Without its own Law of the RSC “Just one of the hundreds and thousands of NPOs”, whose appeals are refused to consider in priority, explained earlier the chairman of the organization Pavel Savchuk In an interview with Kommersant. The special status, he said, will expand the possibilities of the organization, in particular, by consolidating the obligation of authorities to interact with the RSC in receipt of information.

The bill states that the RSC can participate in saving people and restoring objects after emergencies, carrying out measures to promote a healthy lifestyle, the development of blood donation, and provide psychological assistance to the population. The document will also establish payment for the membership of the RSC to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent from the federal budget. It should be noted that the government’s obligation in the development of budget projects to provide funds for payment of the contribution is already fixed in the current decree of the President of 1996.

The state authorities and local self -government, according to the draft law, will be able to support the RSC at the expense of subsidies from their budgets. They will also have the right to transfer state and municipal property to the possession or use of the Russian Red Cross.

The organization will be able to receive donations and assistance in any form from legal entities, including international and foreign organizations (and citizens). The law will ensh the obligation of the Russian authorities to protect the name of the organization, its emblem and logo so that they are not used for fraudulent and commercial purposes.

Work on the bill has been conducted since 2021, Pavel Savchuk said yesterday, commenting on the bill introduced: “We are very grateful to the authorities to support our initiative to develop the law and are sure that the new status will help the RKK make interaction with state agencies more understandable and systemic.”

Natalia Kostarova