Paulina Matysiak's bill: a citizens' legislative initiative with electronic signatures.
MP Paulina Matysiak tabled a bill aimed at simplifying and modernising the procedure of the citizens' legislative initiative. The proposed solutions are intended to enable citizens to support draft laws by electronic means, without eliminating the existing paper path.
The task provides for the creation of a service available in the IT system, which will let citizens to electronically support the bill, and for committee representatives besides to submit the task to the Marshal of the Sejm and to submit a financial study on the sources of funds raised. The service is to operate within the support portal and requires login and authentication by qualified signature, trusted signature or individual signature.
As highlighted in the explanatory memorandum of the project, the aim of the amendments is to extend the capacity of citizens and committees of the legislative initiative, alternatively than replacing the current solutions. This means that the paper form for collecting signatures and submitting papers is maintained and the amendment introduces an additional, more accessible path.
The task besides maintains anti-fraud mechanisms. It will inactive be essential to collect 1,000 own-handed signatures of citizens supporting the task at the phase of the legislative initiative committee. This solution is intended to prevent the creation of projects without a real social background and to reduce the hazard of utilizing the procedure in a way contrary to its objective.
The fresh rules besides supply for greater transparency of the process. The support portal is to supply information on the established committees, draft laws and the number of people who supported it. After logging in, the citizen will besides be able to check which projects he supported and when.
“This task shows that we can work together beyond divisions and build a coalition around a specific, needed solution. We managed to bring together the politicians of the Confederation, Law and Justice, Poland 2050, Together, Direct Democracy and Members not associated around the goal of simplifying the citizens' legislative initiative and adapting it to the realities of the 21st century," says Paulina Matysiak.
According to the draft, if the bill obtains the required support through the portal, it will not be essential to submit paper signature lists. If the number of electronic signatures is insufficient, the required support in conventional form can inactive be supplemented.
The draft assumes that the Minister liable for information technology will prepare the IT strategy within 12 months of the entry into force of the applicable provision, and that the Act itself will apply 12 months after the date of publication, with the exception of the preparatory provisions which will enter into force after 14 days.
The task is of a pro-citizen and modernization nature. Its aim is to facilitate citizens' participation in the law-making process while maintaining security, transparency and procedural guarantees to date.
At the minute there is simply a public consultation on this task — all citizen can participate in it and express their opinion through a survey on the authoritative website of the Polish Sejm.
Link to draft and consultation: https://www.sejm.gov.pl/Sejm10.nsf/agent.xsp?symbol=CONSULTATED_PROJEKT&NrProject=RPW/11430/2026
