Putin signs bill on constitutional amendments

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill amending the constitution, a document published Saturday on the country's official legal information website showed.

On Wednesday, the Russian State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, passed in the third and final reading the bill initiated by Putin. The Russian Federation Council, or the upper house of parliament, approved the bill at a plenary meeting later that day.

A nationwide vote on constitutional amendments is scheduled for April 22, which has been declared a national holiday.

The amendments impose new requirements on the president and officials, stipulate social guarantees, and change parliament's authority, among others.