The Sejm has established a special committee for flood bills

The committee was composed of: Kamil Bortniczuk (PIS), Marek Jan Chmielewski (KO), Janusz Cieszynski (PiS), Żaneta Cwalina-Śliwowska (Polska2050-TD), Zofia Czernow (KO), Katarzyna Czochara (PiS), Władysław Dajczak (PiS), Małgorzata Golińska (PiS), Marek Gróbarczyk (PiS), Łukasz Horbatowski (KO), Paweł Hreniak (PiS), Michał Jaros (KO), Tomasz Kostuś (KO), Janusz Kowalski (PiS), Iwona Małgorzata Krawczyk (KO), Paul Kukiz (Kukiz15), Piotr Lachowicz (KO), Gabriela Lenartowicz (KO), Grzegorz Macko (PiS), Marcin Ociepa (PiS), Michał Pyrzyk (PSL-TD), Olga Semeniuk-Patkowska (PiS), Arkadiusz Sikora (Left), Waldemar Sługocki (KO), Henryk Smolarz (PSL-TD), Marek Sowa (KO), Marta Stożek (Left), Mirosław Suchoń (Polska2050-TD), Krzysztof Tuduj (Confederation), Ireneusz Zyska (PiS).

Mirosław Suchoń (Polska2050-TD) was appointed chairman of the parliamentary committee. The presidium also included: Kamil Bortniczuk (PiS), Michał Jaros (KO), Michał Pyrzyk (PSL-TD), Marta Stożek (Left). The composition of the presidium was voted on jointly, supported by 25 deputies.

Suchoń announced that he will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. on Friday.

The scope of the Committee's activities includes matters related to flood prevention measures and removing the effects of the flood of 2024, and in particular consideration of draft laws in this area.

The newly established committee will be referred to the government's draft amendment to the act on special solutions related to removing the effects of flooding, as well as the draft prepared by PiS on special solutions related to financial support for flood victims. On Thursday, the Sejm held their first reading.

The government project assumes, among other things, support for borrowers. Flood victims who have a housing loan and have lost – even temporarily – the ability to use their house or apartment will be able to take advantage of non-refundable support from the Borrower Support Fund. Through the fund, the state will repay loan installments for a period of 12 months.

Another proposed solution is a support package related to housing. As reported, the Subsidy Fund will provide non-refundable financial support for people who suffered as a result of flooding. The second reading of the draft special act is scheduled for an additional day of the Sejm session, i.e. Tuesday, October 1.

The project also provides for a special benefit (PLN 1,000) to be used to meet the educational needs of children who are completing the mandatory one-year pre-school preparation or students who suffered damage as a result of the flood, and an additional care allowance for parents who cannot work due to the closure of, for example, a nursery or the absence of a nanny and have to look after their child.

On Thursday, the government submitted an amendment to the bill. According to it, an employee affected by a flood will be entitled to additional paid leave of up to 20 days to remove the effects of the flood. The employer will be able to obtain a refund of salary costs and social insurance contributions for the period of this leave from the Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund.

According to the auto-amendment, the employee will be able to take an additional four days leave on request as part of his/her holiday leave entitlement, if, for example, he/she wants to help flood victims as a close relative or volunteer. The employee will have such a right until the end of 2024.

The self-amendment also introduces an intervention benefit for entrepreneurs to support further running a business. After submitting the application to Social Insurance Institution the entrepreneur will be able to apply for funds corresponding to the maximum amount of damage he suffered.

In turn, the project authored by Law and Justice provides, among other things, emergency aid for flood victims granted by the head of a social welfare center. The amount of the benefit is to depend on the ability to function in one's home or apartment, but it could not exceed three times the average monthly salary in the corporate sector in August this year.

In addition, PiS proposes in the draft aid for the renovation or reconstruction of houses in an amount that would cover up to 100% of losses caused by flooding. The assessment of the amount of damage in a building or apartment would be made by experts or a commission for the assessment of losses appointed by the mayor, mayor or city president, in which a construction supervision employee participates.

The PiS project also assumes the introduction of up to 20 days of paid leave from the state budget for employees affected by the flood.