# Law No. 2712 of January 21, 1956

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649470](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649470)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-2712-of-january-21-1956

## Summary
Law No. 2712 of January 21, 1956 is a Brazilian federal statute that authorized a special budgetary adjustment ("Crédito Especial") to fund the creation of educational institutions and higher education courses in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo. It was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Republic, under President Nereu Ramos, and published in Rio de Janeiro.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 2712, de 21 de janeiro de 1956
- **Aliases:** Lei nº 2712/1956
- **Entity Type:** Statute (a formal written document that creates law)
- **Country:** Brazil
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil (President Nereu Ramos)
- **Date of Promulgation:** January 21, 1956
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Main Subjects:** Special budgetary adjustment ("Credito Especial"), creation ("Criação"), Ministry of Education (MEC), state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), state of São Paulo (SP), educational institution ("Estabelecimento de Ensino"), higher education ("Curso Superior")
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 2712/1956
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-01-21;2712
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l2712.htm
- **Jurisdiction:** Applies to Brazil
- **Wikidata Focus:** On the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 2712/1956?**
The law's core purpose is to authorize a special budgetary credit ("Crédito Especial") to finance the establishment of new educational institutions and the creation of higher education courses in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo. It allocates specific funds for this educational expansion.

**Who was responsible for enacting this law?**
The law was approved and promulgated by the federal executive branch, specifically by the Presidency of the Republic. The head of state at the time of its promulgation on January 21, 1956, was President Nereu Ramos.

**What specific educational initiatives does this law fund?**
The law provides funding for the creation ("Criação") of educational institutions ("Estabelecimentos de Ensino") and the establishment of higher education courses ("Cursos Superiores"). These initiatives are directed toward the states of Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo, under the purview of the Ministry of Education (MEC).

**Where can the full, official text of this law be accessed?**
The complete, official text of Law No. 2712/1956 is published on the Brazilian federal government's official legislation portal, Planalto.gov.br, at the URL https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l2712.htm. It is also archived in the national LexML system under the ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-01-21;2712`.

**How is this law cited in formal legal contexts?**
In Brazilian legal practice and citation, this statute is formally referenced as "Lei nº 2712/1956," which combines its sequential number (2712) with the year of its promulgation (1956).

## Why It Matters
Law No. 2712/1956 is a concrete example of mid-20th century Brazilian federal policy using targeted budgetary mechanisms to expand public higher education infrastructure in key states. It represents a specific legislative action to address educational development by channeling federal resources to Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo. As a public domain federal statute, its text is freely accessible, embodying the principle that laws governing the public must be publicly available. This law is part of the historical record of Brazil's efforts to build its educational system during a period of post-war development and urbanization.

## Notable For
*   **Specific Budgetary Instrument:** It is notable as a "Crédito Especial" law, a specific type of budgetary authorization distinct from general annual budget laws.
*   **Targeted Regional Development:** The law explicitly directs federal educational funding to two specific, economically important states: Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo.
*   **Higher Education Focus:** Its provisions are specifically aimed at creating "Cursos Superiores" (higher education courses), linking federal funding directly to university-level education expansion.
*   **Historical Documentation:** It is formally recognized and curated by WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its importance in the comprehensive documentation of Brazil's statutory corpus.
*   **Executive-Legislative Action:** It demonstrates the standard process of a law being proposed (likely by the executive, given its budgetary nature), passed by the National Congress, and promulgated by the President.

## Body

### Legislative Origin and Enactment
Law No. 2712 was a federal statute of Brazil, formally classified as an "instance of" a statute—a formal written document that creates law. The legislative process culminated in its promulgation on **January 21, 1956**. The act of approval and promulgation was carried out by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The individual holding that office at the specific point in time was **President Nereu Ramos**, as indicated by the qualifier on the `approved_by` property. The law was officially published in the nation's capital at the time, **Rio de Janeiro**.

### Substantive Provisions and Purpose
The core substance of the law, as captured by its `main_subject` properties, was the authorization of a **special budgetary adjustment** ("Credito Especial"). The stated objective of this financial authorization was the **creation** ("Criação") of **educational institutions** ("Estabelecimento De Ensino") and **higher education courses** ("Curso Superior"). The geographic scope of this funding was strictly limited to two federative units: the **state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS)** and the **state of São Paulo (SP)**. The law operated under the administrative umbrella of the **Ministry of Education (MEC)**, indicating the federal ministry responsible for overseeing the implementation of the funded projects.

### Jurisdiction, Language, and Publication
The law's legal force and application were confined to the territory of **Brazil**, as specified by the `applies_to_jurisdiction` property. It was written and published in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of the federation. Its official place of publication was **Rio de Janeiro**. The law's unique identifier within Brazil's structured legislative database (LexML) is **`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-01-21;2712`**. The canonical, machine-readable version of the text is hosted on the official federal legislation portal at **https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l2712.htm**.

### Formal Classification and Citation
Within knowledge systems, this entity is taxonomically classified as a **statute**. This places it within a broader class of formal written documents that create law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. For formal legal reference and citation within Brazil, the standard format is **"Lei nº 2712/1956"**. This citation combines the law's sequential number in the annual series (2712) with its year of promulgation (1956), a common practice for identifying Brazilian federal statutes.

### Context within Brazilian Statutory Law
As a federal statute from 1956, Law No. 2712 exists within the continuum of Brazil's statutory law, which is derived from legislation passed by the National Congress and sanctioned by the President. Its specific focus on a special credit for educational infrastructure in two states reflects a common mid-20th century pattern of using targeted, supplementary budgetary laws to fund specific national or regional development projects outside the regular annual budget cycle. The law's subject matter—federal funding for state-level higher education—illustrates the cooperative federalism model in Brazil's education system, where the Union provides resources for initiatives implemented by states.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-01-21;2712)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=2712&ano=1956&data=21/01/1956&ato=210UTQE50dNRVT16b)