The Federal Law sets forth the principles of functioning of public authority, as well as the organisational and legal principles for the formation and activities of the State Council of the Russian Federation.
The Law stipulates, in particular, that the uniform public authority system incorporates federal government bodies, government bodies of the Russian Federation constituent entities, other government bodies, and local self-government bodies taken together, which conduct their activities based on the Constitution of the Russian Federation and in accordance with the law with a view to observing and protecting human rights and freedoms and creating conditions for the socioeconomic development of the state.
The Federal Law sets forth that the State Council is a constitutional government body created by the President of the Russian Federation with a view to ensuring the coordinated functioning and cooperation of the bodies that are included in the uniform system of public authority, and to determine the main areas of domestic and foreign policy and the priority areas for national socioeconomic development.
The Law defines the main tasks and functions of the State Council and also stipulates that the State Council includes a Chairperson and members of the State Council.
Under the Federal Law, the State Council is chaired by the President of the Russian Federation.
Under the Law, the following persons are members of the State Council by virtue of their positions: the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, the Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Speaker of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office, top officials in the regions of the Russian Federation. On the President’s decision, the State Council may include representatives from political parties represented in the State Duma, representatives of local self-government bodies and other persons.
In addition, it is being provided that the State Council sets up a Presidium for resolving current issues. Its members are to be chosen by the Chairperson of the State Council.
The Federal Law sets forth the procedure for holding State Council meetings, the decision-making procedure, and the procedures for the State Council’s cooperation with the Government of the Russian Federation, other federal government bodies, regional government bodies, other government bodies, bodies of local self-government, presidential consultative and advisory bodies, other organisations and civil society institutions.
In addition, the Federal Law consolidates the main principles for decision-making by the State Council on cooperation between the bodies that are part of the uniform public authority system.