Legislature passes bill classifying aides' pay as lawmaker subsidies

Taipei, Jan. 31 (CNA) Taiwan's Legislature passed a legal amendment late on Friday 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 will take effect when the 12th Legislative Yuan convenes on Feb. 1, 2028, the subsidized items include aides' wages, professional and seniority allowances and other related payments.

The revisions follow controversy sparked by a proposal from opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Jessica Chen (陳玉珍), which critics said was an attempt to decriminalize the misuse of parliamentary aide funds.

Subsequently, KMT Legislator Niu Hsu-ting (牛煦庭) introduced a separate bill to amend the Organic Law of the Legislative Yuan.

On Friday, the bill cleared the Legislature with the backing of lawmakers from the KMT and 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 then determine the amount of each aide's wages, with payments disbursed by the Legislature on their behalf.

During general debates, ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators voiced support for increasing aides' remuneration, but criticized the amendments as seeking to "decriminalize" past misuse of aide funds.

They argued that defining aides' salaries as lawmaker subsidies could create legal ambiguities and shield certain legislators from liability.

Niu rejected the accusations as smearing and compared his proposal to earlier amendments to regulations governing subsidies for local councilors and village and borough chiefs, which allow local governments to budget subsidies for councilor aides.