MOSCOW, December 21 (RIA Novosti) - The State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, has passed the bill regulating activities of non-governmental organizations in the second reading Wednesday.
A total of 376 deputies voted for the bill and ten voted against, with 226 votes necessary for the passage of the bill.
Following amendments, the bill excludes the clause on financial control over NGOs, as well as re-registration of NGOs.
The deputies who submitted the bill propose "a unified procedure for registering all types of NGO, and bringing them under a single structure, so that the Federal Registration Service can be responsible for this."
The bill also restricts NGO's activities in towns closed for military, nuclear, and other purposes.
