In the coming months, lawmakers in Russia plan to introduce a bill to the State Duma. The measure would grant employers, particularly managers overseeing secret security units, the authority to verify the foreign passport markers of employees who handle classified information. This development has already drawn attention from the press, cited as a new proposal under consideration by the United Russia faction.
According to the bill, supervisors and security officials would be allowed to review the international passports of personnel with access to state secrets. The move appears aimed at strengthening oversight and reducing the risk of unauthorized international travel by individuals in sensitive positions. The proposal has received support from within United Russia, and an expert council focused on legislative activity has signaled approval in principle.
Proponents, including Anatoly Vyborny, deputy chairman of the State Duma Security Committee, say the goal is to improve existing rules by making it easier to detect unauthorized departures. The idea is that by confirming passport stamps and exit statuses, employers can identify violations where an employee might leave the country without proper authorization while still possessing or handling top-secret information. The explanation stresses that this is about refinement and risk reduction rather than a tightening of the law for its own sake.
Official commentary from the Deputy Prosecutor General, Nikolai Vinnichenko, indicated broad support for the essence of the proposal. The supervising authority believes the concept aligns with ongoing efforts to bolster security controls around individuals who access state secrets. The administration notes that enhanced verification could help ensure that sensitive information does not travel beyond permitted channels, especially in situations where exit clearances may be required but not yet granted.
In related coverage, Reuters reported recent adjustments to the rules governing the departure of Russian civil servants abroad. The reported changes reflect a broader trend toward stricter oversight of international travel by officials who handle official information. The evolving regulatory landscape underscores the balance authorities seek between legitimate mobility and national security concerns.
Meanwhile, regional stories highlight ongoing cases involving individuals who previously disclosed state secrets in the Kuzbass region. A former police officer tied to such disclosures has served a sentence, illustrating the continuing focus on accountability and the consequences of mishandling classified information. These cases contribute to the broader public debate about safeguards, transparency, and the mechanisms used to monitor access to sensitive materials, both inside government bodies and the organizations that work with them. [Source attribution: Reuters]