# Law No. 159 of November 28, 1947

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105647680](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647680)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-159-of-november-28-1947

## Summary
Law No. 159 of November 28, 1947 is a Brazilian statute that authorizes a supplementary credit of 5,000,000.00 Cr$ (Cruzeiros) for the Ministry of Transport and Public Works. Promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, it functions as a legal instrument for budget appropriation and economic reinforcement within the jurisdiction of Brazil.

## Key Facts
- **Full Title:** Lei nº 159, de 28 de novembro de 1947
- **Date of Promulgation:** November 28, 1947
- **Issuing Body:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Classification:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Primary Subject:** Supplementary Credit (Credito Suplementar)
- **Amount Authorized:** Cr$ 5,000,000.00
- **Beneficiary Entity:** Ministry of Transport and Public Works (Ministério da Viação e Obras Públicas)
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro (then capital of Brazil)
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 159/1947
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1947-11-28;159`

## FAQs
**What is the specific purpose of Law No. 159/1947?**
The law opens a supplementary credit of 5,000,000.00 Cruzeiros for the Ministry of Transport and Public Works. It serves as a budget appropriation act to reinforce specific financial verbas (budget lines) for the ministry.

**Who approved and enacted this law?**
The law was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil on November 28, 1947.

**What type of legal document is this?**
It is classified as a statute, which is a formal written document that creates law. Specifically, it is a federal law enacted by the Brazilian government, resulting from legislation and serving as a manifestation of statutory law.

**To which jurisdiction does this law apply?**
The law applies to the Federative Republic of Brazil. At the time of its enactment in 1947, the country was officially known as the Republic of the United States of Brazil, operating under the 1946 constitution.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 159 of November 28, 1947, represents a specific exercise of executive and legislative authority in post-World War II Brazil. During this period, Brazil was undergoing significant infrastructure development and state-led industrialization. By authorizing a substantial supplementary credit specifically for the *Ministério da Viação e Obras Públicas* (Ministry of Transport and Public Works), the law facilitated critical investment in the nation's infrastructure capabilities.

As a statute, it embodies the "edict of government doctrine," serving as a public domain legal instrument that reinforces the rule of law. It demonstrates the mechanics of Brazilian public administration, where "budget appropriations" and "reinforcement" (reforço) of funds are formalized through precise legislative acts rather than arbitrary executive decisions. This law is a concrete example of how the Brazilian state managed its fiscal resources to drive development in the transportation sector during the mid-20th century.

## Notable For
- **Specific Budget Allocation:** Authorizes a precise sum of Cr$ 5,000,000.00, highlighting the scale of infrastructure investment in 1947.
- **Targeted Ministry:** Directed exclusively at the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, underscoring the priority of connectivity and construction in the era.
- **Legal Standardization:** Identified by the formal Lexml ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1947-11-28;159`, ensuring its preservation in the official digital legal repository of Brazil.
- **Constitutional Context:** Enacted during the "Republic of the United States of Brazil" period (1937–1967), specifically under the 1946 Constitution.
- **Public Domain Status:** As an official statute, it is not subject to copyright, ensuring free public access to the legal text.

## Body

### Legislative Provisions
Law No. 159 of November 28, 1947, enacts a specific financial authorization known as a "supplementary credit" (crédito suplementar). The law text specifies: *ABRE PELO MINISTERIO DA VIAÇÃO E OBRAS PUBLICAS O CREDITO SUPLEMENTAR DE CR 5.000.000,00 A VERBA QUE ESPECIFICA* (Opens through the Ministry of Transport and Public Works the supplementary credit of Cr 5,000,000.00 to the budget line it specifies).

This action is classified legally as "budget appropriation" (dotação orçamentaria) and "reinforcement" (reforço) of the Brazilian economy. The creation of this law followed the standard legislative process of drafting and enactment, resulting in a legal norm that mandated the allocation of public funds.

### Official Identification and Metadata
The law is cataloged within the Brazilian legal system with distinct identifiers to ensure retrievability and citation accuracy:
- **Lexml URN:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1947-11-28;159`
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 159/1947
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Wikimedia Project:** It is listed on the "WikiProject Brazilian Laws," indicating its relevance for collaborative knowledge curation.

### Jurisdictional Context: Brazil
The law applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**, a federal republic located in South America.
- **Historical Context (1947):** At the time of this law's enactment, Brazil was known as the Republic of the United States of Brazil. It had gained independence from Portugal on September 7, 1822.
- **Capital:** The law was published in **Rio de Janeiro**, which served as the capital of Brazil until the inauguration of Brasília on April 22, 1960.
- **Government Structure:** The law was promulgated by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. In 1947, the president was Eurico Gaspar Dutra. The country operates under a presidential system with National Congress as the legislative body.
- **Legal System:** As a civil law country, Brazil utilizes statutes as the primary form of legal norm.

### Document Classification: Statute
Law No. 159 is an instance of a **statute**. A statute is defined as a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws.
- **Nature:** It is a manifestation of statutory law and functions as a rule and a written work.
- **Public Domain:** In the United States and France, statutes are public domain due to the "edict of government doctrine." Similarly, Brazilian laws are public domain documents, ensuring citizens have unrestrained access to the rules they must follow.
- **Global Standards:** Statutes are equivalent to the `https://schema.org/Legislation` class used in structured data on the web. They are indexed globally via identifiers like the Library of Congress Authority ID (sh85127611) and GND ID (4020660-9).

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1947-11-28;159)
2. LexML Brasil