Regional Law No. 318 “Social Code”.

This Law establishes the legal framework for the provision of measures of social support and regulates the issues related to the provision of state social assistance, also based on social contract. It shall not be applicable to pensions and the provision of social services. In particular, it shall be applicable to rural areas with the population prevalently involved in agricultural production. Social support measures are provided for the following purposes: (a) targeting social support to citizens; (b) reduction of social inequality; (c) increasing the population's income; (d) incentives for poor families (single citizens) to take active steps to overcome the difficult situation in life and come out of poverty. Measures of state support shall be provided in the following forms: (a) monetary payments (benefits, compensations, subsidies, other payments); (b) in-kind assistance (provision of free meals, foodstuffs, fuel, medicines and other types of in-kind assistance); and (c) free travel. This Regional Law establishes criteria for classification of citizens as beneficiaries of state social assistance. Citizens who have three or more children (including adopted children), under the age of 18 years to be registered for the purpose of providing of public or municipal land plot in ownership free of charge, registered by the local government, with their consent, instead of providing them with a land plot in property free of charge, may be granted as a social measure provision of residential facility in the form of a one-time a cash payment for the purchase thereof. Social support measures to ensure adequate nutrition are provided to the following categories of citizens based on doctors' opinion: (a) pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers; and (b) children under the age of three years. This Regional Law lists categories of pupils and students that have the right to free school feeding. State social assistance can be granted in the form of cash payment for the purchase of agricultural (farm) equipment and purchase of livestock, poultry and animal feedstuffs. State social assistance in accordance with social contract can be provided once only.