Find out the topics that should be voted on by Congress in 2024 | Brazil

In a formal session scheduled for this Monday (5), the Legislature officially opens the activities of 2024. At the ceremony, scheduled to begin at 3 pm, the readings of messages from the Executive and Judiciary Powers sent to the National Congress are scheduled. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s message should detail the government’s priorities in parliament.

Among the projects that should be discussed this year in the National Congress, the regulatory measures for the tax reform approved last year stand out. This is because Constitutional Amendment 132, which instituted the tax reform, still needs regulation via complementary laws for the main changes to take effect.

The projects must be sent by the Executive and will deal with how to collect the Tax on Goods and Services (IBS) and the Contribution on Goods and Services (CBS); the functioning of the IBS resources management committee; compensation for possible revenue losses for states, the Federal District and municipalities; and on the differentiated regimes and reimbursements of credits provided for in the reform.

Other topics that should occupy federal deputies and senators at the beginning of the year are the re-encumbrance of the payroll of 17 sectors of the economy, established by Provisional Measure (MP) 1,202, and the presidential vetoes to the budget, which cut R$ 5.6 billions of parliamentary amendments.

The reform of the Civil Code, the regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the so-called mini-electoral reform and measures for the ecological transition, such as the project for the regulated carbon market and the regulation of the green hydrogen market.

The income tax reform promised by the government may also be discussed this year. Furthermore, the Chamber and the Senate must analyze 20 Provisional Measures (MP) already published by the Executive.

As it is an election year, there is also the expectation that important issues will be concentrated in the first half of the year, as the second half will be marked by elections for mayors and councilors, which tends to reduce the level of votes in the Chamber and Senate.

The president of the National Congress, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), stated that he will prioritize changing the Civil Code this year. Last year, the Senate installed a commission of jurists to suggest changes to current legislation. The expectation is that the draft will be delivered to parliamentarians in April.

AI and Fake News

Another priority topic for Pacheco and the government is regulating the use of artificial intelligence. The measure awaits a report from Senator Eduardo Gomes (PL-TO) at the Temporary Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CTIA). Last week, the European Union approved the world’s first rules for artificial intelligence.

Another topic that has gained the attention of the federal government and parliamentarians and could be approved this year is bill 2630, called “PL das Fakes News”, which plans to regulate social networks to combat misinformation. A text on the topic was processed last year, but the vote was suspended after pressure from technology companies.