# Law No. 10156 of December 22, 2000

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105647908](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647908)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-10156-of-december-22-2000

## Summary
Law No. 10156 of December 22, 2000, is a Brazilian federal statute enacted to authorize a special budgetary adjustment known as a "Special Credit" (Credito Especial). This legislation specifically allocates funds within the Federal Government's Fiscal Budget and Social Security Budget, with a primary focus on the Ministry of Education. As a formal written document created through legislation, it serves as the official legal instrument for these specific financial reallocations in Brazil.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 10156, de 22 de dezembro de 2000.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 10156/2000.
- **Publication Date:** December 22, 2000.
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil.
- **Country of Jurisdiction:** Brazil (Federative Republic of Brazil).
- **Instance Of:** Statute (a formal written document that creates law).
- **Main Subject:** Special budgetary adjustment (Credito Especial).
- **Beneficiary Entities:** Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal) and the Ministry of Education (Ministerio Da Educação - Mec).
- **Budgetary Scope:** Applies to the Fiscal Budget (Orçamento Fiscal) and the Social Security Budget (Orçamento Da Seguridade Social).
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Promulgating President:** Fernando Henrique Cardoso (served as President at the time of promulgation).
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Unique Identifier (LexML):** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10156.
- **Official Online Source:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l10156.htm.
- **Legal Classification:** Federal law enacted via the legislative process.

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 10156/2000?**
The law was enacted to authorize a special budgetary adjustment, specifically a "Special Credit," to fund operations within the Federal Government. Its main objective is to allocate financial resources to the Ministry of Education under the Fiscal and Social Security budgets.

**Who was responsible for approving and promulgating this statute?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and promulgated on December 22, 2000, by then-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. This action formalized the legislative intent into binding statutory law.

**Which specific government budgets does this law affect?**
The statute explicitly governs the allocation of funds within two major budgetary frameworks: the Fiscal Budget (Orçamento Fiscal) and the Social Security Budget (Orçamento Da Seguridade Social). These funds are directed toward the Federal Government and the Ministry of Education.

**Where can the official text of this law be accessed?**
The full text is available in Brazilian Portuguese on the official Planalto website at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l10156.htm. It is also indexed in the LexML Brazil system under the unique identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10156.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 10156/2000 is a critical instrument of fiscal management within the Brazilian federal system, demonstrating how the government legally adjusts its financial resources to meet specific administrative needs. By authorizing a "Special Credit," the law ensures that the Ministry of Education and other federal entities have the necessary legal backing to spend funds outside of the original annual budget plan. This mechanism is essential for maintaining operational continuity in public services, particularly in education, when unforeseen financial requirements arise. The statute exemplifies the formal legislative process in Brazil, where the Executive branch, under the President, utilizes specific legal instruments to manage the complex interplay between the Fiscal and Social Security budgets. Its existence reinforces the rule of law by ensuring that all government expenditures are authorized through a transparent, documented, and legally binding statute rather than arbitrary administrative decisions.

## Notable For
- **Specific Budgetary Mechanism:** It is a distinct example of a "Special Credit" (Credito Especial) law, a specific type of budgetary adjustment in Brazilian law.
- **Targeted Allocation:** The law uniquely identifies the Ministry of Education as a primary recipient of the authorized funds within the broader federal budget.
- **Dual Budget Impact:** It simultaneously addresses allocations in both the Fiscal Budget and the Social Security Budget, a dual-focus characteristic.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the presidency of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, marking a specific point in Brazil's late-20th-century fiscal history.
- **Digital Accessibility:** It is fully indexed in the LexML Brazil open data system, ensuring its availability as a structured legal resource.
- **Formal Classification:** It stands as a verified instance of a "statute," adhering to the definition of a formal written document that creates law.

## Body

### Definition and Legal Classification
Law No. 10156 of December 22, 2000, is classified as a **statute**, which is defined as a formal written document that creates law. In the context of the Brazilian legal system, it falls under the category of federal acts passed by the legislature and promulgated by the executive. As a statute, it serves as the concrete manifestation of statutory law, distinct from general legal concepts or abstract theories. It is an official record of a legal rule enacted by the government, specifically functioning as a "Special Credit" authorization. This classification places it within the broader family of written works and documents that constitute the rule of law in Brazil.

### Legislative History and Promulgation
The statute was created through the standard legislative process, preceded by draft laws and finalized through the act of legislation. The specific date of its creation and enactment is **December 22, 2000**. On this date, the law was promulgated by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The head of state at the time, **Fernando Henrique Cardoso**, is the specific individual associated with the approval and promulgation of this act. The law was published in **Brasília**, the capital of Brazil, which serves as the official place of publication for federal statutes. The legal citation for this text is formally recorded as **Lei nº 10156/2000**.

### Subject Matter and Budgetary Scope
The primary subject of Law No. 10156/2000 is a **special budgetary adjustment**, technically referred to in Portuguese as **Credito Especial**. This legal instrument is designed to modify the existing budget to accommodate specific financial needs. The law explicitly targets the **Federal Government of Brazil** (stated as *União Federal*) and the **Ministry of Education** (stated as *Ministerio Da Educação* or *Mec*). The financial scope of the law covers two distinct budgetary areas:
- **Fiscal Budget** (*Orçamento Fiscal*): The general budget for government operations.
- **Social Security Budget** (*Orçamento Da Seguridade Social*): The budget dedicated to social security and welfare programs.
The "destination" of these funds is the specific allocation required by the special credit, ensuring that the Ministry of Education receives the necessary resources under the legal framework of the Federal Government.

### Jurisdiction and Language
The law applies exclusively to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**. It is a federal statute, meaning it holds authority across the entire territory of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The language of the work is **Brazilian Portuguese**, which is the official language of the country and the medium through which the legal text is written and interpreted. The statute is binding on all entities within the Brazilian legal system, including federal agencies, state governments, and local municipalities, insofar as it pertains to the federal budget and the Ministry of Education.

### Digital Identification and Accessibility
In the modern digital landscape, Law No. 10156/2000 is identified by several unique digital markers that facilitate its retrieval and citation in legal databases.
- **LexML Brazil ID:** The law is assigned the unique Uniform Resource Name (URN) `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10156`. This identifier is part of the LexML Brazil project, which standardizes legal metadata.
- **Official Web Presence:** The full text is hosted on the official Planalto website at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l10156.htm`.
- **Wikidata Integration:** The entity is cataloged in Wikidata with the description "Brazilian law" and is linked to the broader concept of "statute."
- **References:** The data regarding this law has been referenced and verified through sources such as the LexML portal and the Presidency of the Republic's legislative database, with access dates recorded in early 2021.

### Relationship to Broader Legal Concepts
This statute is an instance of the broader class of **statutes**, which includes acts, executive orders, and by-laws. It is a "part of" the larger concepts of "law" and "legal act." The creation of this law follows the procedural step of "draft laws" and is caused by the act of "legislation." As a formal document, it is not subject to copyright restrictions in the same way as private works, aligning with the "edict of government doctrine" that places official legal documents in the public domain to ensure public access. It serves as a tangible example of how the Brazilian government exercises its authority to manage public finances through written legal instruments.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10156)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=10156&ano=2000&data=22/12/2000&ato=6decXUq1EMNpWT5e6)