Senate Committee approves project that shields regulatory agencies from budget blockages

The Senate Infrastructure Committee (CI) approved this Tuesday (16) the complementary bill that amends the Fiscal Responsibility Law (LRF) to protect the budget of regulatory agencies from contingencies.
Parliamentarians approved an urgent request for the proposal to go straight to the plenary. Previously, the proposal would also have to go through the Economic Affairs Committee (CAE).
With this shield, the expenses of regulatory agencies cannot be contingent, for example, to meet the target established in the fiscal framework.
CI rapporteur and president, Marcos Rogério (PL-RO), expanded the scope of the project. The original proposal, by senator Laércio Oliveira (PP-SE), established the protection of the agencies' budget for expenses covered by their own revenues, inspection fees or by funds created for this purpose.
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Rogério's opinion foresees that the protection will now cover all activities of the regulatory agencies, without the requirement of a specific source of financing.
The justification is that the distinction between core activities and secondary activities generates controversy and that most of the expenses of these institutions, including training, are covered by the regular budget - which would empty, in the rapporteur's view, a reservation linked only to funds.
The government is against the proposal on the grounds that prohibiting contingencies freezes the public manager's discretionary margin, creates a constraint in the budget and that "free" resources are already a small part of the budget.
This was the argument used by senator Soraya Thronicke (PSB-MS) to make a request for a review.
After an agreement, Laércio Oliveira, who assumed the presidency for Marcos Rogério to read the opinion, granted collective views until 2pm so that the project could be voted on after a public hearing with the directors of the agencies.
In the vote on the Budget Guidelines Law of 2026, Congress approved a rule that barred the freezing of agency regulation and inspection expenses, but the section ended up vetoed by President Lula.
Laércio Oliveira and Marcos Rogério stated at the meeting that they will coordinate with Davi Alcolumbre, president of Congress, the overturning of the presidential veto in the next joint session between the Chamber and Senate.
Facade of an Anvisa building.
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Source: G1