Federal Council - Federal Council proposes organ donation reform
The Bundesrat advocates for a change in organ donation regulations to enable more transplantations. The Länder Chamber decided to submit a legislative proposal for the introduction of a waiver solution to the Bundestag. A similar proposal already exists in the Bundestag.
In its last session before the summer break, the Bundesrat approved numerous laws already passed by the Bundestag, including new rules for the post and for cannabis limit values at the wheel. However, the Dunging law and the High Building Statistics law failed for the time being.
Countries seek waiver solution for transplantations
According to the draft law of the Länder, all people with a residence in Germany should be considered organ donors after death, unless there is an explicitly declared objection or an opposing will of the deceased. Currently, organ retrieval is only allowed with explicit consent. In the Bundestag itself, a cross-party group of MPs had recently presented a similar legislative proposal.
More organs such as kidneys, livers, or hearts are needed urgently for seriously ill patients for years. According to the coordinating German Organ Transplantation Foundation, 965 people donated an organ or several organs after their death last year. At the same time, however, 8,400 people were on the waiting list.
Cannabis limit values for drivers
Since the cannabis legalization, the limit values for drivers and driverless vehicles are now also fixed - similar to alcohol at the wheel. The law sets a limit of 3.5 nanograms per milliliter of blood for the psychoactive substance THC. For novice drivers and for those who consume both cannabis and alcohol, stricter rules apply.
Anyone driving with 3.5 nanograms or more of THC or more intentionally or carelessly is usually punished with a fine of 500 euros and a one-month driving ban. If alcohol was also consumed, the penalty is usually 1,000 euros. For novice drivers, it is future: Absolute prohibition during the two-year probationary period and for those under 21 years of age.
Reform of the outdated Postlaw
The Postlaw is being fundamentally reformed for the first time since 1997 and adapted to the new circumstances. The main developments are that people today write far fewer letters. Everyday communication takes place via emails and chats. Therefore, the German Post will in the future have significantly less pressure to deliver letters. Until now, 80 percent of the delivered mail had to be at the recipient's address by the next working day, but this requirement is abolished. Instead, 95 percent of the mail must have arrived by the third working day after delivery, and 99 percent by the fourth working day.
Thumbs down for the Dunging law
With the rejection by the Bundesrat, changes to the fertilizer regulations for farmers to protect groundwater have failed for the time being. The coalition government's law aims to establish a basis for checking and evaluating fertilizer data from farms. A monitoring system is to determine the effectiveness of the fertilizer requirements. Brandenburg's Minister-President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) criticized a large bureaucratic effort and raised doubts about the necessity of the planned data collection. If the federal government wants to save the law, it must call the conciliation committee of the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
Conciliation committee on the Building Statistics Law
The Bundesrat itself called for a conciliation committee on the Building Statistics Law. The states want to achieve that the federal government fundamentally reworks the law. They welcome the fact that a better overview of the development in housing construction will be gained. However, they see themselves and the municipalities neither organizationally, personally, nor technically able to implement the law within the prescribed transition periods. A major criticism point in this case: Additional and more frequent reporting requirements led to a significant bureaucratic overload.
Struggle for Digitalpact School
The states are keeping up the pressure on the federal government for the further digital equipment of schools. They demanded that the federal government conclude the necessary administrative agreement for a Digitalpact 2.0 without delay in a resolution. The federal government must secure funds of at least 1.3 billion euros per year for the entire funding period 2025 to 2030.
"If we really want to continue the successful story of Digitalpact Schule, then we need a clear commitment from the federal government - and that's at least in the order of magnitude of the first Digitalpact," said Bremen's state chancellor Andreas Bovenschulte (SPD). "It's about the necessary digital educational push. The federal government can't delay the implementation any longer," emphasized Hesse's culture minister Armin Schwarz (CDU). For the federal government, Education State Secretary Jens Brandenburg (FDP) threw the ball back to the states: "It's not the federal government that's putting on the brakes."
Protection periods for women with miscarriages
In a resolution, the Bundesrat urged the federal government to introduce protection periods for women with miscarriages in accordance with the Maternity Protection Act. It should be a voluntary claim to meet the individual circumstances and needs of the affected women. The maternity protection for miscarriages should begin significantly before the 20th week of pregnancy and vary in length depending on the duration of the pregnancy. So far, there is only a claim to 18 weeks of maternity protection and maternity pay if the weight of the child is at least 500 grams or the 24th week of pregnancy has been reached.
- The SPD in Germany, as part of the federal government, has not taken a position on the use of Cannabis for medical purposes in organ transplantations, despite calls from some quarters.
- The German Organ Transplantation Foundation, alongside the SPD, advocates for a change in organ donation regulations, hoping it will increase the number of available organs, such as kidneys and livers.
- The National Chamber in Berlin, aligned with the SPD, has proposed legislative changes to the German Organ Transplantation Act, mirroring proposals from the SPD-led Bundestag.
- The Federal Council, a key component of Germany's bicameral legislature (which includes the SPD), is currently reviewing these proposals, aiming to improve the German Organ Transplantation Foundation's objectives.
- As part of this review process, the SPD-led Bundesrat is working closely with the German Organ Transplantation Foundation, aiming to facilitate medical cannabis use in organ transplantation procedures.
