The article presents an overview of the main stages of changes in the legislation on the procedure for forming the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the RF, including direct election, direct participation of senior officials of the subjects of the RF, the direction of representatives from legislative and executive authorities of the subjects of the Russian Federation, as well as representatives from Russia in various procedures. Various views on the leitmotifs of such an update of the legislation are described. It is proposed to abandon the next proposals proposed in legal science for a radical change in the method of forming the Federation Council.