2008 key figures 1.3. Recommendations to the legislator From the loss of family aid to potential difficulties in the granting of visas to problems with fiscal authorities: Unlike almost any other institution in Austria, through its daily work the AOB gains an overview of how laws affect the daily lives of people. AOB members often detect structural problems based on specific cases, for example when a law has been unclearly drafted or has a discriminating effect. A total of 38 times the AOB therefore recommended legislative changes to individual federal ministries in 2008. The AOB has been urgently seeking the implementation of some requests now for years, while others were made for the first time in the 2008 annual report. 38 proposed legislative amendments In 2008 the AOB also contributed its experience from investigative proceedings and issued 15 opinions on planned federal and provincial laws. A focus was its participation in discussions on the planned initiatives of legislators in the areas of the judiciary and internal affairs. AOB members provided comments on the planned second Protection against Violence Act as well as regarding changes in the Security Police Act and the Asylum Act. But the Board also commented on specific government projects in the field of education, e.g., on the drafting of a proposed act amending the University Act. Commentaries on draft legislation 32nd Report of the Austrian Ombudsman Board to the National Council and the Federal Council 2008 11