The State Duma has passed the first reading of a draft law that empowers the Russian Anti-Doping Agency to establish anti-doping regulations ©Getty Images

The State Duma has passed the first reading of a draft law that gives the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) the authority to establish regulations in line with the World Anti-Doping Code.

The approval of the draft legislation by the Lower House of the Russian Parliament is viewed by RUSADA officials as a step towards regaining World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) compliance.

Russian Deputy Sports Minister Andrey Fyodorov told Russia’s official state news agency TASS that the country is hopeful of being reinstated by WADA by the end of the year following the move.

"The bill at the issue had been drafted in line with instructions from the Russian Prime Minister [Mikhail Mishustin] with the objective of fighting doping abuse in sports, its synchronisation with the World Anti-Doping Code, which, under the International Convention against Doping in Sport, is at the core of the anti-doping fight on the whole," said Fyodorov.

The 2021 World Anti-Doping Code not being fully integrated into Russian law is one of the key issues that WADA say must be resolved for it to consider RUSADA for reinstatement.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, National Anti-Doping Organisations must be responsible for establishing anti-doping rules.

WADA President Witold Bańka has said that the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code being fully integrated into Russian law was one of the main issues that needed to be resolved for RUSADA to be considered for reinstatement ©Getty Images
WADA President Witold Bańka has said that the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code being fully integrated into Russian law was one of the main issues that needed to be resolved for RUSADA to be considered for reinstatement ©Getty Images

In Russia, that authority is held by the Russian Sports Ministry.

RUSADA was declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code in December 2019 after it was found by WADA to have manipulated Moscow laboratory data in an attempt to cover-up state-sponsored doping.

WADA imposed four years’ worth of sanctions, but the period was halved following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in December 2020.

Russia's name, flag and anthem were barred from World Championships and Olympic Games for two years and the country was also banned from hosting or being granted the right to stage major competitions "unless it is legally or practically impossible" for them to be moved elsewhere.

The ban on RUSADA finished on December 17 last year, but WADA President Witold Bańka had warned the organisation still remained "non-compliant" and its suspension would not be lifted until a number of issues were resolved.

Fedorov has previously claimed that the country was being unfairly targeted by Bańka.