The legislature late on Friday passed an amendment stipulating that it must annually budget lawmaker subsidies from public funds, including office operating expenses and the salaries and allowances of publicly funded aides.
Under the amendments, which would take effect when the 12th Legislative Yuan convenes on Feb. 1, 2028, the subsidized items include aides’ wages, professional and seniority allowances, and other payments.
The revisions follow controversy sparked by a proposal by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍), which critics said was an attempt to decriminalize the misuse of legislative aide funds.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Subsequently, KMT Legislator Niu Hsu-ting (牛煦庭) introduced a separate bill to amend the Organic Act of the Legislative Yuan (立法院組織法).
On Friday, the bill cleared the legislature with the backing of lawmakers from the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who hold a combined majority in the 113-seat legislature, with minor adjustments proposed by the TPP caucus.
Under the amendments, aides’ salaries fall under “lawmaker subsidies” annually allocated by the legislature from public funds, a departure from the current law that only states that the legislative body is required to budget a fixed amount annually for each aide’s expenses and office operations.
The revision stipulates that subsidies must cover aide salaries equivalent to five times a legislator’s annual remuneration, as well as employer-borne labor costs mandated by law.
Lawmakers can determine the amount of each aide’s wages, with payments disbursed by the Legislative Yuan on their behalf.
During general debates, Democratic Progressive Party legislators voiced support for increasing aides’ remuneration, but said the amendments sought to “decriminalize” misuse of aide funds.
Defining aides’ salaries as lawmaker subsidies could create legal ambiguities and shield legislators from liability, they said.
Niu rejected the accusations and compared his proposal to earlier amendments to regulations governing subsidies for local councilors, and village and borough wardens, which allow local governments to budget subsidies for councilor aides.
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