The seismic phase of work on the amendment of the Law on the Defence of the Motherland ended. 426 Members voted in favour of the fresh legislation. The changes improve the recruitment process, introduce motivational provision for non-professional soldiers and beneficial solutions for soldiers sent to abroad training. Now the task will be handled by the Senate.
The Homeland Defence Act has been in force since April 2022. Since then, it has been proposed respective times. Another amendment to the MON regulations was submitted in November 2024. After respective months of work on June 25, the amendment was unanimously passed by the Sejm.
– erstwhile the bill was introduced, there were another needs and conditions. However, we are inactive witnessing a changing geopolitical situation, and this makes us gotta keep up with the challenges. The legislator is pleased to adapt to the current situation and to make changes so needed for soldiers," he says. Col. Krzysztof Yewgiejuk, president of the Bureau of Professional Soldiers' Representation Bodies. He adds that favorable solutions are for both professional and non-professional soldiers.
Mandatory investigation and more efficient recruitment
Changes concern, among others, the recruitment process. In accordance with the provisions inactive in force, the procedure for candidates shall take place within a maximum of 2 days, after the amendments will proceed “without undue delay”. – This will guarantee a balance between the efficiency and reliability of the person’s ability to execute the service correctly. We want to examine the candidate so that later the commander, to whom the soldier will be subject, is 100% convinced that he is getting a full-value candidate – emphasized Paweł Bejda, Deputy Head of the MON in the Sejm. The solution is right that the fresh regulations besides introduce the rule of mandatory intellectual investigation for all volunteers, regardless of the kind of service (now the investigation is mandatory only for candidates for professional soldiers). This is intended to guarantee greater efficiency of selection and let early recognition of persons who might have problem adapting to the requirements of service. The amendment besides states that intellectual studies will be available no more than erstwhile all 12 months. This solution is intended to destruct the pathological phenomenon: today, people who have not received a affirmative intellectual opinion on the first, second or next time, are looking for investigation "to the end".
Motivation and little bureaucracy
Advantageous changes await soldiers sent abroad for courses, internships, specialisations or another forms of training. The rules presume that if the journey lasts more than six months, the soldier will be able to leave with his household (wife/ec and dependent children). Soldiers will besides gain the right to a scholarship and reimbursement of costs: accommodation, travel, wellness insurance and children's education in primary and secondary schools.
More realistic are the rules for the reimbursement of the cost of education (studies, internships, specializations, training) which a professional soldier should execute in the event of a cessation of education or dismissal from the military before the prescribed period (in the survey contract). The maximum amount of reimbursement specified in the provisions will not be higher than 60 times the lowest basic wage of a professional soldier (in 2025 the amount of PLN 378 thousand). “Training pilots for example is millions of PLN. I don't think anyone would sign any commitment for that amount, due to the fact that a possible refund would be impossible to enforce. That is why, in preparing the fresh regulations, we wanted to make this a reality," stressed Deputy Minister Bejda.
Another change will surely delight the unprofessional soldiers. The fresh regulations introduce a motivational provision that the soldier will be able to receive for example for the implementation of crisis management or border protection activities. A akin solution will besides include professional soldiers during training in a military college, a junior advanced school, a centre or a training centre.
The amendments to the Act supply for a simplification in the formalities for the award of allowances to soldiers for long service, for service in a military unit and motivational unit. In accordance with the provisions in force, it is essential to issue decisions on the granting of an allowance whenever a soldier changes his post. The fresh arrangements presume that allowances will be granted erstwhile for the duration of service (in the case of the allowance for long-term military service) or for the duration of service in the military unit (in the case of the service and incentive allowance).
Childcare and reserve allowances
Advantageable provisions were besides proposed to military marriage-parents. Today, if they rise a kid up to 4 years old, they cannot at the same time be directed on a business journey outside the place of service without express consent. A akin solution applies to a single soldier parent. The amendment implies an extension of the age of the kid entitled to restrict joint posting spouses from 4 to 8 years old.
Under the fresh regulations, the amount of one-off compensation paid to the closest soldier in the event of his death as a consequence of an accident or illness in connection with the service will increase. Currently, the amount of this debt for e.g. the spouse and 2 children of the deceased soldier is PLN 204 543 and for parents of the deceased PLN 102 271. erstwhile the provisions enter into force, these amounts will amount to PLN 564 538 and PLN 282 269 respectively.
The changes besides concern military discipline and, more specifically, the designation of battalion and company commanders as disciplinary bodies. They have the power to, for example, initiate proceedings and settle tiny disciplinary matters. Today, they do not have specified powers, resulting in lengthy proceedings.
The amendment introduces the anticipation to allocate mobilization allowances to passive soldiers a reserve for work positions in global organizations, global military structures or with armed forces of abroad states stationed in Poland. The current government assumes that allocations only be allocated to positions which are specified in the act of a military unit and happen during war.
Transitional provisions also concern reservists appointed for military exercises from 1 January 2023 to 29 September 2023. It's about granting them a refund of the cost of driving to and from military units. The reserve holder will have 12 months to submit an application on the substance from the date of entry into force.
Less photograph Prohibitions
The amendment besides changes the rules for shooting, filming and streaming military objects. The ban will only apply to facilities actually occupied by military or peculiar services (e.g. interior safety Agency, Military Counterintelligence Service). The fresh regulations exclude from the ban, among others, the "image, which is only a item of the whole", as well as the "image recorded during the movement of the vehicle" e.g. by means of a car video recorder. Nor will the ban apply, for example, during interviews or conferences organised in military facilities, as well as during, among others, renovation works, audits and marketing activities. The punishment for a possible violation of the ban will no longer be the arrest, but only the fine.
Other changes included, among others, the operation of the Armed Forces Support Fund, the anticipation of granting a peculiar grant to pro-defensive organisations or support for dogs and horses withdrawn from service in the armed forces. The amendment provides for the division of crisis management competences between the Territorial Defence Army Commander, who is presently liable for the full issue, and the operational commander of the RFA, who will be liable for coordinating NATO and EU crisis management in the national defence department.
"We hope that further proposals for solutions submitted by the professional soldiers' environment will besides be accepted by the head of the Ministry of Defence and will be taken into account in the next revisions," said Colonel Yewgeejuk. Among the requests is the introduction of an incentive allowance for soldiers of all corps, the simplification of the opinion process, and the withdrawal from the request to notify the unit commander of the intention to travel and stay abroad in the event of a journey to EU associate States or the Schengen area.
It's the legislature now. erstwhile the Senators accept and the President's signature, the bill will enter into force 14 days after publication in the authoritative of the Law.
