The planned amendments would amend Section 30 of the Law Enforcement Act to allow the police and other law enforcement authorities to request not only documents from individuals but also "information in another form."

According to the explanatory memorandum, this refers specifically to requesting photographs (image files) and videos (video files) from people who may possess information about a public order violation or a threat of such a violation.

The new wording would make the law unambiguous and, according to the bill's authors, facilitate police efforts to investigate and resolve public order offenses.

Drones to aid law enforcement

The bill would, for the first time, establish detailed rules governing the use of unmanned vehicles, or drones, in state supervision activities.

The draft legislation emphasizes that, in order to protect people's privacy, drones may only record or transmit images. The recording of audio would not be permitted under the law, in order to prevent covert eavesdropping.

In addition, drones would have to be clearly marked and the public or affected parties would have to be informed about their use and the processing of any data collected. Recordings gathered by drones could generally be retained for a maximum of 30 days.

However, the use of drones would not be permitted for arbitrary surveillance. Instead, they could only be used in specific circumstances, the most important of which are:

• Monitoring public gatherings: Drones could be used at public meetings and events to identify threats and address public order violations, as large crowds can make direct police intervention more difficult. Their use as a precautionary measure in response to a purely abstract threat would be prohibited. Police would have to possess at least a concrete suspicion of a threat before deploying a drone. Participants would also have to be informed in advance that drones are being used.
• Traffic monitoring and responding to dangerous situations: Drones could be used in traffic situations to obtain better information about emerging hazards when there are grounds to believe a public order violation is occurring and the situation involves an elevated danger. At the same time, the bill explicitly prohibits the routine monitoring of normal traffic by drone on the basis of a hypothetical concern that "something might happen."
• Replacing an officer's line of sight in dangerous situations: Drones could be used as a tool during hazardous or complex inspections. For example, they could safely survey construction sites on high-rise buildings, large storage yards or suspicious containers, sparing officials from direct exposure to danger. They could also help prevent property damage. For instance, when assessing a potential threat, it may be more reasonable to fly a drone through an open apartment window than to force entry by breaking down a door. As an exception, when a drone is used to inspect private property, the owner would have to be informed separately and the measure should be carried out in the owner's presence whenever possible.

Drones could also be deployed to search for people lost in forests, protect critical sites, monitor the state border or assess particularly serious traffic incidents involving an elevated level of danger.

Changes in organization of public meetings and events

As a significant step toward reducing bureaucracy, organizers of public events such as concerts and fairs would no longer be required to obtain a permit from the local government before holding an event.

Instead, local authorities would only need to be notified 30 days in advance if the event is expected to attract large crowds, requires traffic rerouting, takes place at night or involves the sale of alcohol.

The bill would also lower the minimum age for organizing a public meeting or demonstration. Under the proposed changes, young people aged 14 and older would be granted the right to organize demonstrations independently, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

To ensure safety, the bill stipulates that police must always be notified in advance of any public meeting organized by a minor.

All of the proposed law enforcement-related amendments are scheduled to enter into force on January 1, 2027.

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