A legislative package that will improve social protection guarantees for police officers has been initiated in Parliament.

The amendments were prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and submitted to Parliament for consideration by the Government.

According to the draft law, in cases where a police officer is injured or dies in the line of duty, social guarantees will increase. In particular, compensation in the event of a police officer’s death in the line of duty will be doubled — instead of 15,000 GEL, the family of the deceased officer will receive a one-time payment of 30,000 GEL. Also, funeral expenses will be increased from the current 500 GEL to 2,000 GEL.

According to the amendments, the amount of one-time financial assistance in the case of health damage will also increase. A police officer who sustains a severe injury will receive 20,000 GEL instead of 7,000 GEL; for a less severe injury — 15,000 GEL instead of 4,000 GEL; and for a minor injury — 10,000 GEL instead of 2,000 GEL.

Within the scope of these changes, the Law on Police will also introduce leave due to health conditions, which currently does not exist. As the Ministry of Internal Affairs explains, if an employee sustains a health injury while performing official duties, they may be granted paid leave for up to 1 year. During this time, expenses related to health protection (including rehabilitation), medical treatment, transportation if necessary, care, and other needs will be covered. Additionally, the employee’s salary and bonuses will continue to be paid. Furthermore, the 1-year leave period may be extended based on the conclusion of a relevant commission established within the ministry, according to rules and terms set by the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Health-related leave may also be granted not only to those injured in the line of duty but also in cases of other illnesses. In this case, leave will be granted for 4 months, which may be extended based on a medical conclusion, according to procedures and conditions set by the Minister.

In addition, according to procedures established by an order of the Minister of Internal Affairs, social guarantees may extend to a family member of a person employed in the ministry’s system, as well as to individuals dismissed from the ministry/system due to disability. The rules regarding the funding of medical expenses and financial assistance will be detailed in a ministerial order.

Analogous amendments will be made to the Law on Civil Safety so that firefighters-rescuers can benefit from the same guarantees.