The Bundestag will replace paper attendance lists with a digital system by amending its Rules of Procedure, allowing MPs to log in using new chipped ID cards.

A joint CDU/CSU/SPD proposal to amend the Rules of Procedure is advancing this digital attendance system, reducing reliance on physical sign-in sheets at multiple entrances.

The move will make attendance recording technology-neutral, permitting both digital logging and a remaining paper option during a transition.

Attendance that is not entered or not justified will trigger financial penalties: 200 euros from a member’s expense allowance for not signing, and 300 euros for not signing and not providing an excuse.

Projections show significant cost savings, including eliminating about 55,000 sheets of paper annually and saving roughly 1,000 staff hours per year spent on cross-checking attendance.

The initiative is expected to cut administrative work considerably by streamlining attendance data processing and reducing manual verification.

The system is designed to be technology-neutral, ensuring a smooth transition with options for both digital use and continued paper sign-ins.

A joint CDU/CSU/SPD proposal to amend the Rules of Procedure is under discussion, with a pilot already underway and a paper list kept at one entrance for those who prefer analog signing.

MPs will log in with a chip-enabled badge, simplifying the process and reducing the need for manual verification.

This digitization effort is part of a broader push to modernize parliamentary procedures and trim administrative overhead, pending a parliamentary vote on the rule change.

Testing is already underway for the digital system, and while most MPs will adopt it, one entrance will maintain a paper list to accommodate preferences during the transition.

The reform intersects with budget rules, since attendance-related penalties currently affect MPs’ expense allowances for non-participation or unexcused absences.