How the Knesset Votes
English

Government bill · 23rd Knesset · published as law 7 July 2020

חוק לתיקון ולקיום תוקפן של תקנות שעת חירום (נגיף הקורונה החדש – אכיפה) (תיקון מס' 2), התש"ף-2020Law for Amendment and Validation of Emergency Regulations (Novel Coronavirus – Enforcement) (Amendment No. 2), 2020 · automatic translation · suggest a correction

Status: התקבלה בקריאה שלישית

Topics: Emergency, war and COVID · no asterisk — automatically from words in the title

Official summary of the law (Knesset)

The Amendment to the Law establishes provisions whose main purpose is to streamline and enhance enforcement of the obligation to wear a mask. Among other things, the Amendment to the Law expands the circle of inspectors authorized to impose a fine for failing to wear a mask, so that it also includes local authority inspectors, inspectors who are state employees, and inspectors of the Nature and Parks Authority, but only subject to appropriate guidance and training. Enforcement by all these bodies shall be carried out in accordance with policy to be determined by the Police, taking into account enforcement conditions toward special populations such as persons with disabilities, children, and the elderly, in accordance with equitable standards, and with the possibility for the inspector or police officer to refrain from imposing the fine depending on the circumstances. In addition, the amount of the fine for failing to wear a mask was raised from 200 shekels to 500 shekels. Finally, the possibility was established to deliver notice of the imposition of an administrative fine regarding various offenses related to the opening of businesses, also by means of delivery to the person responsible for the place or business, in addition to service by registered mail to the operator.

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Hebrew original

התיקון לחוק קובע הוראות שמטרתן העיקרית היא ייעול והגברה של האכיפה על חובת עטיית מסכה. בכלל זה, התיקון לחוק מרחיב את מעגל הפקחים שיוסמכו להטיל קנס בשל אי-עטיית מסכה, כך שיכלול גם פקחים של הרשויות המקומיות, מפקחים שהם עובדי המדינה ופקחי רשות הטבע והגנים, ואולם רק בכפוף להנחיה ולהכשרה מתאימה. האכיפה בידי כל הגורמים תתבצע בהתאם למדיניות שתיקבע על ידי המשטרה, תוך התחשבות בתנאי אכיפה כלפי אוכלוסיות מיוחדות כגון בעלי מוגבלויות, ילדים, ומבוגרים, בהתאם לאמות מידה שוויוניות, ותוך האפשרות של הפקח או השוטר להימנע מהטלת הקנס בהתאם לנסיבות. כמו כן, הועלה גובה הקנס על אי-עטיית מסכה מ-200 שקלים ל-500 שקלים. לבסוף, נקבעה האפשרות למסור הודעה על הטלת קנס מינהלי בכל הנוגע לעבירות שונות הקשורות לפתיחת עסקים, גם בדרך של מסירה לאחראי על המקום או העסק, בנוסף להמצאתה בדואר רשום למפעיל.

Readings

What was said in the plenum

The bill sought to increase enforcement against violations of the coronavirus regulations: enabling the delivery of administrative fines to the person responsible for a business, shortening the payment deadline for fines in certain offenses, expanding the circle of inspectors authorized to impose fines, and raising the fine for not wearing a mask from 200 to 500 shekels. The debate centered mainly on the question of whether raising the fines and expanding enforcement are justified given the difficult economic situation and the rise in morbidity, with disagreement also over the manner of enforcement toward the public, and in particular toward the Haredi public.

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Hebrew original

הצעת החוק ביקשה להגביר את האכיפה נגד הפרת תקנות הקורונה: אפשור מסירת קנסות מינהליים לאחראי על עסק, קיצור מועד תשלום הקנס בעבירות מסוימות, הרחבת מעגל הפקחים המוסמכים להטיל קנסות, והעלאת הקנס על אי-עטיית מסכה מ-200 ל-500 שקלים. הדיון נסב בעיקר סביב השאלה האם העלאת הקנסות והרחבת האכיפה מוצדקות נוכח המצב הכלכלי הקשה והעלייה בתחלואה, תוך מחלוקת גם על אופן הפעלת האכיפה כלפי הציבור ובפרט כלפי הציבור החרדי.

Arguments for

  • A sharp rise in morbidity and in the number of severely ill patients requires increased deterrence and enforcement to prevent a deterioration that would lead to a full lockdown and greater harm to the economy and the health system.
    Yoav Kisch (Likud)
  • Expanding the circle of inspectors authorized to impose fines and increasing the fine create a greater deterrent force that will prevent the need to actually impose fines.
    Yaakov Asher (United Torah Judaism)
  • The committee introduced necessary balances, such as maintaining the 60-day period for paying the fine instead of shortening it, and structuring the discretion of police officers and inspectors so that they prefer explanation and warning over an immediate fine.
    Yaakov Asher (United Torah Judaism)
  • The position of the professional bodies in the Ministry of Health and the National Security Council is that there is no alternative to the proposed measures in order to eradicate the dangerous phenomenon of not wearing masks.
    Yaakov Asher (United Torah Judaism)

Arguments against

None were made.

Who spoke (17)
MemberFactionReadingsSpeechesIn the final vote
Yoav KischLikud coalitionFirst reading2no record
Israel EichlerUnited Torah Judaism coalitionFirst reading1no record
Boaz ToporovskyYesh Atid – Telem oppositionFirst reading1against
Mickey LevyYesh Atid – Telem oppositionFirst reading1against
Orna BarbivayYesh Atid – Telem oppositionFirst reading1against
Yaakov AsherUnited Torah Judaism coalitionThird reading3for
Yoav SegalovitzYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Eli AvidarYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading2against
Yorai Lahav HertzanuYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Idan RollYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading2against
Alex KushnirYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading1no record
Karine ElharrarYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Ahmad TibiJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Aida Touma SlimanJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Saeed AlkharumiJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Tamar ZandbergMeretz oppositionThird reading1against
Yair GolanMeretz oppositionThird reading1against

An automatic summary of the plenum transcripts: the debate on the bill at every reading it was voted on. Arguments are given as the speakers made them; this is not an assessment. The list of speakers comes from the transcript, without a model. Transcripts of the sittings: 1, 2

Reservations to the second reading

11 reservations were filed: proposed changes to the text the committee brought to the second and third reading.

The reservations submitted seek to change the application of the regulations to small businesses, to tighten or change the enforcement powers and training requirements for the enforcing party, to add a warning requirement before imposing a fine, and to direct the fine money to a dedicated fund to assist those economically harmed by the coronavirus.

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Hebrew original

ההסתייגויות שהוגשו מבקשות לשנות את תחולת התקנות על עסקים קטנים, להחמיר או לשנות את סמכויות האכיפה ודרישות ההכשרה לגורם האוכף, להוסיף חובת אזהרה לפני הטלת קנס, ולהפנות את כספי הקנסות לקופה ייעודית לסיוע לנפגעי הקורונה הכלכליים.

By faction

A joint reservation counts for every faction whose members filed it.

Who proposed what
  • אביגדור ליברמן, עודד פורר, יבגני סובה, אלי אבידר, יוליה מלינובסקי קונין, חמד עמאר, אלכס קושניר, קארין אלהרר, יואב סגלוביץ', יאיר לפיד, משה יעלון, מאיר כהן, עפר שלח, אורנה ברביבאי, יואל רזבוזוב, אלעזר שטרן, מיקי לוי, ע'דיר כמאל מריח, רם בן ברק, בועז טופורובסקי, אורלי פרומן, אנדרי קוז'ינוב, עידן רול, יוראי להב-הרצנו · 10
    The reservations seek to delete provisions requiring dedicated training for an authorized party and to authorize only a police officer to act, to tighten the requirement to maintain documentation recordings of enforcement, to add a requirement for approval by the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, to replace the provision allowing documentation to be done by a committed party, to add a warning requirement before imposing a fine for not wearing a mask, and to allocate the fine money to a dedicated fund to assist those economically harmed by the coronavirus instead of to the state treasury.
    Sections: לסעיף 1, לאחרי סעיף 1
    Avigdor Liberman, Oded Forer, Evgeny Sova, Eli Avidar, Yulia Malinovsky, Hamad Amar, Alex Kushnir, Karine Elharrar, Yoav Segalovitz, Yair Lapid, Moshe Ya`alon, Meir Cohen, Ofer Shelah, Orna Barbivay, Yoel Razvozov, Elazar Stern, Mickey Levy, Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh, Ram Ben Barak, Boaz Toporovsky, Orly Froman, Andrey Kozhinov, Idan Roll, Yorai Lahav Hertzanu
  • משה ארבל · 1
    The reservation seeks to exempt micro, small and medium-sized businesses from the application of a regulation requiring the closure of an area open to the public, and to establish for them a separate penalty arrangement in the event of a violation of a home isolation order.
    Sections: לסעיף 1

Asked to speak: Osama Saadi (Joint List), Ayman Odeh (Joint List), Mtanes Shihadeh (Joint List), Ahmad Tibi (Joint List), Mansour Abbas (Joint List), Aida Touma Sliman (Joint List), Waleed Taha (Joint List), Ofer Cassif (Joint List), Heba Yazbak (Joint List), Yousef Jabareen (Joint List), Saeed Alkharumi (Joint List), Jaber Asakla (Joint List), Samy Abu Shahadeh (Joint List), Sondos Saleh (Joint List), Iman Khatib Yassin (Joint List), Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), Tamar Zandberg (Meretz), Yair Golan (Meretz), Naftali Bennett (Yamina), Ayelet Shaked (Yamina), Bezalel Smotrich (Yamina), Matan Kahana (Yamina), Ofir Sofer (Yamina), Merav Michaeli (Labor)

Proposers and reservation numbers are extracted automatically from the committee version, and the count is checked against the numbers printed in it. The descriptions are an automatic summary. Committee version for the second and third reading (PDF)

Reservations, sections and other votes (11)

In order. Votes on reservations and individual sections are shown separately from the vote on the bill as a whole.

Source: bill page in the Knesset legislation database ↗

Law for Amendment and Validation of Emergency Regulations (Novel Coronavirus – Enforcement) (Amendment No. 2), 2020 · How the Knesset Votes