State Duma deputies Dmitry Kuznetsov, Mikhail Matveev, and Alexey Zhuravlev have introduced (https://mosds.mos.ru/~6FFcS) and registered (https://sozd.duma.gov.ru/bill/661645-8#bh_histras) on June 2 a bill in the State Duma proposing to change the definition of compatriots abroad. The proposed amendment to paragraph 3 of Article 1 (https://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_23178/4733d92796950eff2201181bdbcf75ca68fa7ddc/) of the Federal Law of May 24, 1999, No. 99-FZ is formulated as follows: “Compatriots are also recognized as persons and their descendants living outside the territory of the Russian Federation who belong to peoples historically residing on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as persons who are natives (emigrants) from the RSFSR and the Russian Federation who had the corresponding citizenship and became citizens of a foreign state or stateless persons.” The essence of the proposed changes is to narrow the circle of persons falling into the category of compatriots by excluding those citizens of the former USSR and their descendants who are not representatives of the peoples historically residing on the territory of the Russian Federation and have never had Russian citizenship. If the State Duma votes for this amendment, only those persons who belong to the indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation, as well as any persons who have ever had Russian citizenship or USSR citizenship and lived on the territory of the RSFSR, will be considered compatriots abroad.