National Assembly cuts fast-track bill review period from 330 to 90 days
The revision passed despite opposition objections, accelerating parliamentary review while lawmakers also nominated special inspector general candidates.
Lawmakers pass a revision to the National Assembly Act aimed at significantly shortening the deliberation period for bills designated to be fast-tracked from a maximum of 330 days to 90 days during a parliamentary plenary session at the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, on Aug. 20.
YONHAP
The National Assembly on Thursday passed a bill to significantly shorten the deliberation period for fast-track bills from 330 days to a maximum of 90 days.
The proposed revision to the National Assembly Act was passed in a 153-81 vote during a plenary session, despite objections from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), which argued that the ruling party was unilaterally pushing the bill through without sufficient deliberation.
The revision shortens the review period for fast-track bills to 90 days — 60 days by a standing committee and 30 days by the legislation and judiciary committee.
The bill was initially submitted to a plenary session late last month, but a filibuster launched by the PPP prevented a vote before the July extraordinary parliamentary session ended at midnight.
Under the current National Assembly Act, a measure designated as a fast-track bill can take up to 330 days to reach a plenary vote, including up to 180 days in a standing committee and another 90 days in the legislation and judiciary committee.
If the review is not completed within this period, the bill is automatically put to a vote in a plenary session within 60 days.
The revision also requires a fast-tracked bill that clears the judiciary committee to be proposed at the first parliamentary plenary session held after the committee's approval.
A bill can be designated as a fast-track proposal with the approval of at least three-fifths of lawmakers, allowing it to pass even without bipartisan agreement, preventing it from remaining pending in parliament for too long.
Separately, the Assembly also approved a motion recommending three candidates for special inspector general, tasked with investigating corruption involving the president's family. The president is now required to select one of the candidates recommended by parliament.
The independent inspector general position was established in 2014 under then-President Park Geun-hye, but it has been left vacant since 2016.
Yonhap
