Event Summary
Following the unanimous approval in general of the bill amending Law No. 20,500 on citizen participation, originally enacted in 2011, the Chamber of Deputies moved to the detailed discussion and debate of the bill on 7 January 2026. The proposed reform seeks to strengthen citizen participation in public administration and to dignify the work of community and social leaders. The bill incorporates principles of non-discrimination, gratuity, and territorial relevance, as well as measures to strengthen the Civil Society Councils (COSOC) and expand training opportunities. These proposals are the result of a nationwide consultative process known as “Let’s Talk about Participation,” which involved the participation of more than 6,600 people from different regions of the country.
The reform aims to modernize mechanisms for citizen participation by building stronger and more effective bridges between civil society and the State. The general approval of the bill enabled it to be forwarded to the Chamber’s floor for article-by-article voting.
The detailed voting process began on January 7 within the Internal Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and is expected to continue throughout the month during plenary sessions.