The Committee on Labour, Demographic and Social Policy did not adopt at first reading a bill to amend and supplement the Family Allowance for Children Act. The proposal, submitted by Venko Sabrutev from "We Continue the Change" and a group of members of parliament, provided for financial support for the parents of students in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades.
During the vote, six deputies supported the bill, while nine abstained. Currently, students in the first, second, third, fourth, and eighth grades are eligible for allowances. According to Venko Sabrutev, the state should make children a priority and eliminate discrimination in support between different groups of students. He emphasized that he does not accept the argument regarding the lack of budget funds, even though the Ministry of Finance does not support the bill.
Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Nadya Klisurska expressed reservations, clarifying that the payments set out in the budget are tailored to the current school year. Maria Todorova from "Progressive Bulgaria" described the initiative as an "artificial burden on the state budget," although she supports the social objective.
Georgi Georgiev from "Vazrazhdane" proposed introducing a retroactive adjustment and called for the issue to be non-partisan. Galya Vasileva from GERB-SDS called for dialogue between institutions to find a unified solution. Ayten Sabri from DPS expressed support for the bill, arguing that there is a need for help for parents due to rising costs.