Chinese lawmakers are reviewing a draft amendment to the country's law on earthquake damage prevention and disaster reduction at a bi-monthly session of the top legislature started in Beijing Monday.
The draft amendment was handed over by the State Council, or Cabinet, to the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee for its second hearing.
The draft amendment is expected to be passed within the week.
According to the new regulations, individuals or organizations would be encouraged to alert relevant administrations should they find signs of a possible earthquake.
Each individual and organization would have legal obligations to participate in quake damage prevention and disaster reduction in accordance with the law, it said.
The government would also encourage people to take part in quake relief on a volunteering basis, and would set up regulations for the volunteers.
The new regulations give government financial support to earthquake insurance policies, and would encourage individuals and organizations to buy earthquake insurance policies in the future.
In addition, government departments in charge of quake relief funds distribution would have to publish detailed reports on the spending of the funds, the amendment said.
Government departments, civil organizations and enterprises should also strengthen earthquake relief education among the public, and conduct earthquake drills, the new regulations read.
The draft amendment, which was submitted for first hearing in October, asked contractors to build school facilities with a higher anti-quake criteria than common buildings in surrounding areas. It also stressed that neither individuals nor organizations could release earthquake forecasts to the public as that is the sole role of the government.
Source: Xinhua
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