Sri Lanka’s Parliament has allocated five and a half hours on October 22 for the second reading of two separate amendments to the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, according to the parliamentary business schedule approved on Friday.
The debate is due to begin at 11.30 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. The proposed amendments are identified as Bills Nos. 79 and 80, corresponding to two separate legislative drafting references.
The scheduling decision was made by the Committee on Parliamentary Business at its October 16 meeting, chaired by Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih.
Two bills scheduled for the same sitting
Both amendments will be considered during the same parliamentary session. The published timetable identifies them separately, making it necessary to examine the changes proposed under each bill before treating them as a single legislative measure.
The second reading is the stage at which lawmakers debate the general principles of proposed legislation. The scheduling announcement does not establish that either bill has been passed.
Thursday, 22 October 2026
11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Second reading of Bills Nos. 79 and 80 concerning the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance.
The bills remain subject to parliamentary consideration.
The proposed debate comes amid the government’s wider campaign against narcotics trafficking and organised crime.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake previously indicated that his administration would consider changes to existing laws, including constitutional amendments where necessary, as part of efforts to address organised crime. Lakbima News reported those remarks in September.
The relationship between those wider policy statements and the precise provisions of Bills Nos. 79 and 80 will depend on the published legislative text. The parliamentary schedule itself does not establish such a connection.
What lawmakers will be asked to approve
The published timetable provides the bill numbers and the legislation being amended. The specific proposed changes, including any amendments to enforcement powers, procedures or penalties, require examination of the bill texts.
Parliament has set aside the main debating period on Thursday for the two amendments. Annual reports from several statutory institutions are also scheduled for approval later that afternoon.
The sitting forms part of a four-day parliamentary week beginning October 20. Debate on an opposition adjournment motion is scheduled for Tuesday, while Wednesday’s business includes public debt legislation and a supplementary estimate.
The two drug law bills are scheduled for their second reading on October 22. Their final form and passage will depend on the proceedings that follow.
