Duties of NPC Deputies
NPC deputies are members of the supreme state power organ. The responsibilities they hold during sessions of the NPC include the following:
To deliberate bills and reports on the session's agenda;
To submit bills within the scope of the NPC's authority in accordance with the law;
To submit motions for amending the Constitution in accordance with the procedure prescribed in the Constitution;
To participate in all NPC elections;
To address questions to the State Council, its ministries and commissions, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate while examining bills and reports;
To address inquiries to the State Council, its ministries and commissions, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate in accordance with the law;
To move to recall members of the NPC Standing Committee, the President or the Vice President of the People's Republic of China, members of the State Council, members of the Central Military Commission, the President of the Supreme People's Court, or the Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law;
To propose that committees of inquiry into specific issues be organized in accordance with the law; and
To criticize and make suggestions and comments on all work.
When the NPC is not in session, deputies engage in the following activities in accordance with the law:
To scrutinize work of state organs and relevant organizations at the same or lower levels;
To move in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law that an interim NPC session be held;
To attend meetings of the NPC Standing Committee and its special committees as non-voting observers when invited;
To attend as nonvoting observers, sometimes by invitation, meetings of the people's congresses of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government and meetings of their standing committees and special committees;
To listen to and report on people's opinions;
To participate in committees of inquiry into specific issues; and
To communicate to the NPC Standing Committee suggestions, criticisms and comments on all aspects of its work.
The state and society provide assurances to NPC deputies concerning their work to ensure that they do it well. Deputies may not be held legally liable for their speeches or votes at NPC meetings. No deputy may be arrested or placed on criminal trial without the consent of the Presidium of the current NPC session or the consent of its Standing Committee when it is not in session. According to law, all organizations and individuals are required to respect the rights of deputies and support them in the performance of their duties. Those who hinder deputies in the performance of their duties or retaliate against deputies performing their duties legally will be punished in accordance with the law.