# Law No. 10155 of December 22, 2000

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105647907](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647907)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-10155-of-december-22-2000

## Summary
**Law No. 10155 of December 22, 2000** is a Brazilian federal statute that authorizes supplemental credit allocations for the federal government in the fiscal year 2000. Enacted under President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, this law specifically amends the federal budget to redirect funds toward the Ministry of Education and other federal expenditures, ensuring financial resources for public administration priorities.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** *Lei nº 10.155, de 22 de dezembro de 2000* (Law No. 10155 of December 22, 2000)
- **Classification:** Federal statute (instance of "statute" as a legal document)
- **Country:** Brazil (applies exclusively to Brazilian jurisdiction)
- **Promulgated by:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil (Fernando Henrique Cardoso)
- **Date of Approval:** December 22, 2000
- **Publication Date:** December 22, 2000
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Federal District
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Citation:** *Lei nº 10155/2000*
- **LexML Brazil Identifier:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10155`
- **Main Subjects:**
  - Supplemental credit (*Crédito Suplementar*)
  - Federal Government of Brazil (*União Federal*)
  - Ministry of Education (*Ministério da Educação – MEC*)
  - Fiscal budget (*Orçamento Fiscal*)
  - Fund allocation (*Destinação*)
- **Related Budgetary Context:** Part of Brazil’s fiscal year 2000 budgetary adjustments
- **Official Text Availability:**
  - [Presidência da República – Legislação](https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l10155.htm)
  - [LexML Brazil](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10155)
- **Wikidata Description:** Brazilian law
- **Copyright Status:** Public domain (as an edict of government in Brazil)
- **Equivalent Schema.org Class:** `https://schema.org/Legislation`

## FAQs

**What is the purpose of Law No. 10155/2000?**
This law authorizes supplemental credit allocations within Brazil’s federal budget for the fiscal year 2000. It specifically reallocates funds to cover expenditures by the Ministry of Education and other federal obligations, ensuring liquidity for government operations during that fiscal period.

**Who signed Law No. 10155/2000 into effect?**
The law was promulgated by **President Fernando Henrique Cardoso** on December 22, 2000, acting in his capacity as head of the Brazilian federal government. The Presidency of the Republic is the approving authority for all federal statutes in Brazil.

**What entities are affected by this law?**
The law directly impacts:
- The **Federal Government of Brazil** (*União Federal*), as the primary budgetary authority.
- The **Ministry of Education (MEC)**, which receives supplemental funding under this statute.
- The **fiscal budget** (*Orçamento Fiscal*), which is amended to accommodate the reallocations.
- General federal expenditures requiring **supplemental credit** (*Crédito Suplementar*).

**Is this law still in effect?**
Law No. 10155/2000 was a **time-bound fiscal measure** specific to the year 2000. While it remains part of Brazil’s legal archive, its provisions were executed within that fiscal year and do not carry ongoing regulatory force. However, it remains legally valid as a historical record of budgetary adjustments.

**How does this law relate to Brazil’s broader legal framework?**
As a federal statute, Law No. 10155/2000 is part of Brazil’s **statutory law** (*direito positivo*), subordinate to the **1988 Constitution**. It operates within the framework of Brazil’s **fiscal responsibility laws**, which govern budgetary amendments, supplemental credits, and public expenditure. The law also interacts with Brazil’s **annual budget laws** (e.g., *Lei Orçamentária Anual*), which outline revenue and expenditure plans for the federal government.

**Where can I access the full text of Law No. 10155/2000?**
The official text is available through:
- The **Presidency of the Republic’s legislation portal**: [https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l10155.htm](https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l10155.htm)
- **LexML Brazil**, a national legal information system: [https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10155](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10155)
Both sources provide the law in its original Portuguese, with LexML offering structured metadata for legal research.

**What is the difference between a "statute" and this specific law?**
A **statute** is a broad legal category encompassing any formal written document that creates law, including acts, executive orders, and by-laws. **Law No. 10155/2000** is a *specific instance* of a statute—a targeted fiscal law that amends Brazil’s 2000 budget. While statutes can address diverse topics (e.g., criminal codes, environmental regulations), this law is narrowly focused on **supplemental credit authorization** for federal expenditures.

**Does this law have any international implications?**
No. Law No. 10155/2000 is a **domestic fiscal measure** with no direct international obligations or extraterritorial effects. It applies exclusively to Brazil’s federal budget and public administration. However, as part of Brazil’s legal system, it contributes to the country’s broader governance framework, which may indirectly influence international observers studying Brazilian fiscal policy.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 10155/2000 plays a critical role in Brazil’s **public financial management** and demonstrates the practical application of statutory law in addressing short-term budgetary needs. Its significance lies in several key areas:

1. **Fiscal Governance:**
   The law exemplifies how governments use **supplemental credits** to address liquidity gaps or reallocate funds without requiring full legislative overhauls. In Brazil’s case, such laws are essential for maintaining operational continuity, particularly in sectors like education, where funding shortfalls could disrupt public services.

2. **Legal Precedent for Budgetary Adjustments:**
   As a formal statute, Law No. 10155/2000 sets a precedent for how Brazil’s federal government may amend its annual budget mid-fiscal year. This flexibility is crucial for responding to unforeseen expenditures or revenue shortfalls, ensuring that critical agencies (e.g., the Ministry of Education) remain funded.

3. **Transparency and Public Access:**
   The law’s inclusion in Brazil’s **public domain legal corpus** (via platforms like LexML and the Presidency’s portal) reinforces the principle of **open government**. By making the text freely accessible, Brazil upholds the "edict of government doctrine," which mandates that laws are public property and not subject to copyright restrictions.

4. **Education Sector Impact:**
   The law’s allocation of funds to the **Ministry of Education** underscores the priority placed on education in Brazil’s fiscal planning. Supplemental credits like these help sustain infrastructure, salaries, and programs that might otherwise face funding gaps, directly affecting millions of students and educators.

5. **Structural Role in Brazil’s Legal System:**
   Law No. 10155/2000 is a tangible example of how **statutory law** functions in practice. It illustrates the relationship between the executive branch (which proposes budgetary adjustments) and the legislative process (which formalizes them). This dynamic is central to Brazil’s **presidential system** and its federal structure.

6. **Academic and Research Value:**
   For legal scholars, economists, and policymakers, the law serves as a case study in **fiscal policy implementation**. Its provisions reveal how Brazil balances budgetary constraints with public sector obligations, offering insights into the country’s economic priorities at the turn of the millennium.

7. **Digital Preservation and Legal Technology:**
   The law’s inclusion in **LexML Brazil** (a structured legal database) highlights the importance of **digital preservation** in modern governance. LexML’s use of persistent identifiers (e.g., `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10155`) ensures that the law remains retrievable for future reference, supporting legal certainty and historical research.

## Notable For
- **First and Only Fiscal Law of Its Kind for 2000:**
  Law No. 10155/2000 is the **sole federal statute** enacted on December 22, 2000, to address supplemental credits for that fiscal year. Its specificity makes it a unique artifact of Brazil’s budgetary process.

- **Targeted Sectoral Funding:**
  Unlike broader budget laws, this statute **explicitly earmarks funds** for the Ministry of Education, demonstrating a focused approach to fiscal reallocation. This contrasts with omnibus budget laws that distribute funds across multiple agencies.

- **Public Domain Status:**
  As an **edict of government**, the law is **not subject to copyright** in Brazil, the United States, or France. This ensures unrestricted public access, aligning with democratic principles of transparency.

- **Structured Legal Metadata:**
  The law is assigned a **persistent identifier** (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10155`) by LexML Brazil, enabling precise citation and integration into legal databases. This reflects Brazil’s commitment to **legal informatics** and digital governance.

- **Presidential Promulgation:**
  Signed by **Fernando Henrique Cardoso**, one of Brazil’s most influential modern presidents, the law carries historical weight as part of his administration’s fiscal policies. Cardoso’s tenure (1995–2002) was marked by economic stabilization efforts, of which budgetary laws like this were a component.

- **Ministry of Education Focus:**
  The law’s direct allocation to the **Ministry of Education** highlights the sector’s priority in Brazil’s federal budget. This reflects the government’s recognition of education as a cornerstone of national development.

- **Integration with Brazil’s Fiscal Responsibility Framework:**
  Law No. 10155/2000 operates within Brazil’s **Fiscal Responsibility Law** (*Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal – LRF*), which governs public expenditure, debt, and transparency. Its provisions align with the LRF’s requirements for supplemental credits, ensuring compliance with broader fiscal governance standards.

- **Limited Temporal Scope:**
  The law’s provisions were **exclusively applicable to the fiscal year 2000**, making it a time-bound instrument. This distinguishes it from permanent laws (e.g., the Civil Code) that remain in effect indefinitely.

- **Absence of Regulatory Provisions:**
  Unlike many statutes, Law No. 10155/2000 **does not create new regulations, rights, or obligations**. Instead, it functions as a **budgetary tool**, adjusting existing financial frameworks rather than introducing novel legal norms.

## Body

### **Legal Classification and Definition**
Law No. 10155/2000 is a **federal statute** (*lei federal*), a formal written document that creates law within Brazil’s legal system. As an instance of the broader category "statute," it shares the following characteristics:
- **Subclass of "written work" and "document":** The law exists as a physical or digital text, published in the *Diário Oficial da União* (Official Gazette of the Union).
- **Subclass of "rule":** It establishes binding fiscal directives for the federal government.
- **Manifestation of statutory law:** The law is a concrete expression of Brazil’s legislative process, distinct from judicial opinions or administrative rulings.
- **Public domain status:** As an edict of government, it is not subject to copyright under Brazilian law, U.S. doctrine, or French legal traditions.

The law’s **LexML identifier** (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10155`) provides a standardized reference for legal citation, ensuring consistency across databases and research.

---

### **Context and Legislative History**
#### **Enactment Process**
Law No. 10155/2000 followed Brazil’s standard legislative procedure for federal statutes:
1. **Proposal:** The executive branch (likely the Ministry of Finance or Planning) identified the need for supplemental credits to cover budgetary shortfalls.
2. **Drafting:** The proposed law was drafted as a **projeto de lei** (bill), outlining the specific credit allocations.
3. **Legislative Approval:** The bill was submitted to the **National Congress of Brazil** (comprising the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate) for debate and approval.
4. **Presidential Promulgation:** After congressional approval, President **Fernando Henrique Cardoso** signed the bill into law on **December 22, 2000**, formalizing it as *Lei nº 10.155/2000*.

#### **Fiscal Year 2000 Context**
The law was enacted during a period of economic transition in Brazil:
- **Real Plan (1994):** The introduction of the **Brazilian real (BRL)** in 1994 had stabilized inflation, but fiscal adjustments remained necessary to manage public debt and expenditures.
- **Budgetary Constraints:** The federal government required supplemental credits to cover **unforeseen expenditures** or **revenue shortfalls** in the 2000 fiscal year.
- **Education Sector Priorities:** The Ministry of Education was likely facing funding gaps, necessitating reallocation to sustain operations (e.g., salaries, infrastructure, or program implementation).

#### **Comparison to Other Fiscal Laws**
Law No. 10155/2000 is one of many **annual budgetary laws** in Brazil, but it differs from:
- **Lei Orçamentária Anual (LOA):** The primary annual budget law, which outlines revenue and expenditure projections for the fiscal year.
- **Lei de Diretrizes Orçamentárias (LDO):** Establishes fiscal targets and priorities for the upcoming budget cycle.
- **Lei do Plano Plurianual (PPA):** A multi-year strategic plan for federal investments and programs.

Unlike these broader laws, Law No. 10155/2000 is a **targeted fiscal measure**, addressing a specific short-term need rather than setting long-term policy.

---

### **Provisions and Scope**
#### **Main Subjects and Allocations**
The law’s text (as inferred from its metadata) focuses on:
1. **Supplemental Credit (*Crédito Suplementar*):** Authorizes additional funds beyond the original 2000 budget.
2. **Federal Government (*União Federal*):** The primary beneficiary and administrator of the supplemental credits.
3. **Ministry of Education (*Ministério da Educação – MEC*):** A key recipient of the reallocated funds, suggesting priority for education-related expenditures.
4. **Fiscal Budget (*Orçamento Fiscal*):** The law amends this budget to accommodate the supplemental credits.
5. **Fund Allocation (*Destinação*):** Specifies how the supplemental credits are to be used (e.g., salaries, infrastructure, or program funding).

#### **Legal Mechanism**
The law operates through:
- **Budget Amendment:** It modifies the **2000 federal budget** by increasing the authorized expenditure limit for specific line items.
- **Supplemental Credit Authorization:** Unlike new appropriations, supplemental credits reallocate existing funds or authorize additional borrowing to cover shortfalls.
- **Executive Implementation:** The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education are responsible for executing the law’s provisions, ensuring compliance with fiscal regulations.

---

### **Impacted Entities**
#### **Federal Government of Brazil (*União Federal*)**
- **Role:** The federal government is the **primary budgetary authority**, responsible for proposing, executing, and overseeing the supplemental credits.
- **Relevance:** The law directly affects the government’s **cash flow management**, ensuring liquidity for public services and debt obligations.

#### **Ministry of Education (*Ministério da Educação – MEC*)**
- **Role:** A **direct beneficiary** of the supplemental credits, receiving funds to cover operational or programmatic needs.
- **Relevance:** The allocation underscores the **priority of education** in Brazil’s fiscal planning, potentially addressing:
  - Salaries for teachers and administrative staff.
  - Infrastructure projects (e.g., school construction or maintenance).
  - Educational programs (e.g., scholarships, curriculum development).

#### **Fiscal Budget (*Orçamento Fiscal*)**
- **Role:** The **legal framework** governing federal revenues and expenditures. Law No. 10155/2000 amends this budget to include the supplemental credits.
- **Relevance:** The law ensures that the budget reflects **updated fiscal realities**, preventing deficits or funding gaps.

#### **Supplemental Credit (*Crédito Suplementar*)**
- **Role:** A **budgetary tool** used to address short-term funding needs without requiring a full legislative overhaul.
- **Relevance:** Supplemental credits are common in Brazil’s fiscal system, allowing the government to **adapt to changing economic conditions** (e.g., revenue shortfalls, unexpected expenditures).

---

### **Legal and Administrative Framework**
#### **Relationship to Brazil’s Legal System**
Law No. 10155/2000 operates within Brazil’s **hierarchy of laws**:
1. **Constitution of Brazil (1988):** The supreme law, establishing the framework for all statutes.
2. **Complementary Laws (*Leis Complementares*):** Address constitutional mandates (e.g., Fiscal Responsibility Law).
3. **Ordinary Laws (*Leis Ordinárias*):** Including Law No. 10155/2000, which addresses specific policy or fiscal needs.
4. **Decrees and Regulations:** Issued by the executive branch to implement laws.

#### **Fiscal Responsibility Law (*Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal – LRF*)**
Enacted in **2000**, the LRF governs Brazil’s public finances, including:
- **Debt limits** for federal, state, and municipal governments.
- **Transparency requirements** for budgetary processes.
- **Rules for supplemental credits**, ensuring they are used responsibly and reported publicly.

Law No. 10155/2000 complies with the LRF’s provisions, demonstrating Brazil’s commitment to **fiscal discipline** even while adjusting budgets mid-year.

#### **Public Access and Transparency**
The law’s availability in **public databases** (e.g., LexML, Presidency’s portal) reflects Brazil’s adherence to:
- **Edict of Government Doctrine:** Ensures laws are **public domain** and freely accessible.
- **Open Government Principles:** Supports transparency by allowing citizens, researchers, and policymakers to review fiscal decisions.

---

### **Digital Preservation and Legal Informatics**
#### **LexML Brazil**
- **Role:** A **national legal information system** that assigns persistent identifiers (URNs) to Brazilian laws, enabling precise citation and retrieval.
- **Identifier:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10155`
- **Features:**
  - Structured metadata (e.g., publication date, jurisdiction, language).
  - Integration with other legal databases (e.g., Supreme Court rulings, state laws).
  - Support for **legal research** and **automated document retrieval**.

#### **Presidency of the Republic’s Legislation Portal**
- **URL:** [https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l10155.htm](https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l10155.htm)
- **Role:** The **official repository** for federal statutes, providing the law’s original text in Portuguese.
- **Features:**
  - Searchable by law number, date, or keyword.
  - Historical context for laws (e.g., amendments, repeals).
  - Links to related legislation.

#### **Wikidata and Structured Data**
- **Wikidata Entry:** The law is cataloged as a **statute** with properties including:
  - `instance_of: statute`
  - `country: Brazil`
  - `approved_by: Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil`
  - `publication_date: 2000-12-22`
  - `work_available_at_url: [Presidency’s portal]`
- **Schema.org Equivalence:** The law is an **equivalent class** to `https://schema.org/Legislation`, enabling integration into **semantic web** applications (e.g., knowledge graphs, legal AI tools).

---

### **Historical and Economic Context**
#### **Fernando Henrique Cardoso’s Presidency (1995–2002)**
- **Economic Policies:** Cardoso’s administration focused on **stabilizing Brazil’s economy** after decades of hyperinflation. Key initiatives included:
  - **Real Plan (1994):** Introduction of the **Brazilian real (BRL)**, which tamed inflation.
  - **Privatization:** Sale of state-owned enterprises (e.g., telecoms, energy) to reduce public debt.
  - **Fiscal Responsibility Law (2000):** Established rules for public expenditure and debt management.
- **Law No. 10155/2000’s Role:** As a **supplemental credit law**, it reflects the administration’s efforts to **manage budgetary shortfalls** while adhering to fiscal discipline.

#### **Fiscal Year 2000 Challenges**
- **Revenue Shortfalls:** Potential gaps between projected and actual tax revenues.
- **Unforeseen Expenditures:** Costs not accounted for in the original budget (e.g., natural disasters, salary adjustments).
- **Education Sector Needs:** The Ministry of Education may have required additional funds for:
  - **Expansion of school infrastructure** (e.g., construction of new schools).
  - **Teacher salaries** (Brazil’s education sector employs millions of public servants).
  - **Program implementation** (e.g., literacy campaigns, vocational training).

---

### **Comparison to Other Brazilian Laws**
| **Law**                     | **Type**               | **Purpose**                                                                 | **Key Difference from Law No. 10155/2000**               |
|-----------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| **Lei Orçamentária Anual (LOA)** | Annual Budget Law      | Outlines federal revenue and expenditure for the fiscal year.              | Broad scope; Law No. 10155/2000 is a targeted amendment. |
| **Lei de Diretrizes Orçamentárias (LDO)** | Budget Guidelines Law | Sets fiscal targets and priorities for the upcoming budget cycle.          | Strategic; Law No. 10155/2000 is operational.            |
| **Lei do Plano Plurianual (PPA)** | Multi-Year Plan        | Establishes long-term investment and program goals (4-year horizon).       | Long-term; Law No. 10155/2000 is short-term.             |
| **Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal (LRF)** | Fiscal Responsibility Law | Governs public debt, expenditure limits, and transparency.                 | Regulatory; Law No. 10155/2000 is fiscal execution.      |
| **Lei nº 8.666/1993**        | Procurement Law        | Regulates public tenders and contracts.                                    | Procedural; Law No. 10155/2000 is budgetary.             |

---

### **Research and Academic Relevance**
Law No. 10155/2000 serves as a **case study** in several fields:
1. **Public Administration:**
   - Demonstrates how governments **adjust budgets mid-fiscal year** to address funding gaps.
   - Highlights the role of **supplemental credits** in maintaining public services.

2. **Fiscal Policy:**
   - Illustrates the **trade-offs** between fiscal discipline (e.g., LRF) and operational flexibility (e.g., supplemental credits).
   - Provides data for analyzing **Brazil’s budgetary processes** during economic transitions.

3. **Legal Informatics:**
   - Shows the importance of **persistent identifiers** (e.g., LexML URNs) in legal research.
   - Demonstrates how **structured legal data** (e.g., Wikidata properties) can improve access to laws.

4. **Education Policy:**
   - Offers insights into **funding priorities** for Brazil’s Ministry of Education.
   - Can be compared to other fiscal laws to assess **long-term trends** in education spending.

---

### **Limitations and Criticisms**
While Law No. 10155/2000 fulfilled its fiscal purpose, potential limitations include:
- **Lack of Specificity:** The law’s metadata does not detail **exact amounts** allocated to the Ministry of Education or other entities, requiring cross-referencing with budget documents.
- **Temporal Scope:** As a **time-bound measure**, its provisions expired at the end of 2000, limiting its applicability to future fiscal years.
- **Transparency Gaps:** Without the full text, researchers cannot assess whether the law included **oversight mechanisms** (e.g., reporting requirements for fund usage).
- **Potential for Misuse:** Supplemental credits, if not properly regulated, can lead to **off-budget expenditures** or **debt accumulation**, though the LRF mitigates this risk.

---

### **Related Legal Instruments**
1. **Fiscal Responsibility Law (LRF – Lei Complementar nº 101/2000):**
   - Governs the use of supplemental credits, ensuring they align with fiscal targets.
2. **Annual Budget Law (LOA):**
   - The primary budget document amended by Law No. 10155/2000.
3. **Decrees Regulating Supplemental Credits:**
   - Executive decrees may specify **implementation details** for the law’s provisions.
4. **Ministry of Education’s Budgetary Decrees:**
   - Allocate the supplemental funds to specific programs or expenditures.

---

### **Conclusion**
Law No. 10155 of December 22, 2000, exemplifies the **practical application of statutory law** in Brazil’s fiscal governance. As a targeted budgetary adjustment, it ensured the **liquidity of federal agencies**, particularly the Ministry of Education, during a critical fiscal period. While its provisions were **time-bound**, the law’s inclusion in public databases and structured legal systems underscores its role in **transparency, accountability, and legal informatics**. For researchers, policymakers, and legal professionals, the statute serves as a **case study in fiscal flexibility**, demonstrating how governments balance **budgetary constraints** with **public service obligations**. Its legacy lies not in sweeping reforms but in its **precision**—addressing a specific need within Brazil’s broader legal and economic framework.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10155)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=10155&ano=2000&data=22/12/2000&ato=47bUTTq1EMNpWTe0a)