The State Duma has adopted in the first reading a bill that allows military service to be counted toward municipal service seniority. According to the Faridaily publication, the document extends these privileges to both Ministry of Defense service members and individuals who served under contract in the Rosgvardiya (National Guard) troops. Thus, military service will be equated to experience gained in a civilian municipal position in terms of experience requirements and associated benefits.
Who the Initiative Affects
The privileges under the new bill cover two categories of individuals: active and discharged Ministry of Defense service members, as well as Rosgvardiya contract soldiers. For both groups, military service will be counted as municipal service seniority, effectively equating army experience to working in a civilian municipal position. This means that when applying for jobs in local self-government bodies, military service will be credited toward the total seniority required for career advancement.
What Counting Seniority Provides
Currently, many high-level positions in municipal service require a minimum seniority of two years. It is this seniority that opens access to leadership positions and grants the right to a number of financial and social bonuses: additional vacation days, bonuses, and a length-of-service pension. According to Faridaily estimates, the new mechanism will allow combat veterans to claim leadership positions in municipalities without having to start their careers from low-paying positions. In fact, military service replaces the required two-year municipal experience requirement.
Initiative and Legislative Context
The bill was submitted to the State Duma on the instructions of Vladimir Putin; among its co-authors are 342 deputies. The adoption of the document in the first reading means that it can still be finalized in the second and third readings, after which it will be sent for signing. As the publication notes, in recent months the State Duma has adopted a number of laws aimed at facilitating the employment of veterans of the war with Ukraine in the sphere of public administration. The new bill continues this line, expanding opportunities for the integration of military personnel into the municipal management system.
Thus, the document adopted in the first reading creates a mechanism whereby military service becomes a full-fledged element of municipal service seniority, opening access to leadership positions and associated benefits for Ministry of Defense and Rosgvardiya service members.
