Parliamentary proceedings in the German Bundestag this week
The 2nd Session of Germany's legislative period commenced on November 11, 2021, marking a new chapter in the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While there is no specific legislation detailing measures for pandemic combat, legal certainty, and prevention of forgery of vaccination certificates on November 11, it is important to note that the German government has already taken significant steps in this regard. The "3G" rule and an amendment to the Infection Protection Act in September 2021 are prime examples of such measures.
As of November 2021, hospitalization incidence is being used as a benchmark for implementing anti-pandemic measures. If hospitalizations exceed certain thresholds, stricter rules like the "2G" and "2G+" rules could be implemented for public facilities. However, specific legislation targeting forgery of vaccination certificates or legal certainty in this context is not detailed in the available information.
Prevention of forgery is a critical aspect of maintaining trust in vaccination records. To address this, countries often implement digital systems and verification processes. The search results do not provide specific legislative actions taken by Germany around November 11, 2021, on this issue.
Several other measures have been announced during this session. The DIVI register will record capacities for children's intensive care beds in the future. The Corona Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance measures will be extended until March 20, 2022. The laws on the forgery of health certificates will be expanded, and registering incorrect vaccination documentation in blank vaccination certificates will be explicitly punishable.
The suspension of the annual minimum income threshold in the Artists' Social Security Act is extended until the end of 2022. Forgery of vaccination certificates will be punishable, and preparing and trading blank vaccination certificates will be made punishable. The use of forged vaccination certificates and test certificates will be comprehensively punished.
The federal government has decided not to extend the epidemic situation of national significance due to a high vaccination rate. Special regulations for parental sick leave will be extended until the end of 2022, with 30 days for parents and 60 days for single parents.
Three committees have been established: the Main Committee, the Petitions Committee, and the Committee for Election Review, Immunity, and Rules of Procedure. The Main Committee can discuss drafts and submit resolution recommendations to the plenary. It will be dissolved once permanent committees are established.
The federal states are allowed to implement moderate protective measures such as mask mandates, 3G/2G regulations, and contact data collection until March 20, 2022. The special regulation for the entitlement claim for parents of children in care facilities is extended until March 20, 2022.
The authority for certain employers to process employee data regarding COVID-19 vaccination or serostatus is extended until March 20, 2022. Doctors issuing incorrect health certificates will be committing a criminal offense.
The Committee for Election Review, Immunity, and Rules of Procedure was established, and its members were elected. The Petitions Committee resumed its work to allow citizens to exercise their right to petitions. As of now, more than two-thirds of people in Germany are now vaccinated.
These measures are intended to provide legal certainty for further pandemic combat while respecting fundamental rights. Both bill drafts will be debated in the first reading this week.
- The German government, in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has implemented the "3G" rule and amended the Infection Protection Act as measures for pandemic combat and prevention of forgery of vaccination certificates.
- Two legislative actions taken by Germany, related to the forgery of vaccination certificates, are the expansion of laws concerning forgery and the punishment of preparing and trading blank vaccination certificates.
- The federal government has established the Committee for Election Review, Immunity, and Rules of Procedure, a body that will focus on debating bill drafts regarding policy-and-legislation and legal certainty in the context of science, health-and-wellness, and politics.
