# Law No. 2996 of December 10, 1956

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648985](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648985)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-2996-of-december-10-1956

## Summary
Law No. 2996 of December 10, 1956, is a Brazilian federal statute that estimates the revenue and fixes the expenditure of the Union for the fiscal year of 1957. Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, this formal written document serves as the official budgetary law for the Federal Government of Brazil for that specific period. It is classified as a statute and applies exclusively to the jurisdiction of Brazil, written in Brazilian Portuguese.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 2996, de 10 de dezembro de 1956.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 2996/1956.
- **Publication Date:** December 10, 1956.
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (Federal Government/União Federal).
- **Primary Subject:** Budget (Orçamento) for the Fiscal Year (Exercicio Financeiro) of 1957.
- **Function:** Estimates revenue and fixes expenditure for the Union.
- **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Promulgating Authority:** Juscelino Kubitschek (President at the time of promulgation).
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Classification:** Statute (formal written document creating law).
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-12-10;2996.
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l2996.htm.
- **Source Reference:** Legislation Presidency of the Republic (legislacao.presidencia.gov.br) and LexML Brazil.

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 2996/1956?**
The law's main objective is to establish the financial framework for the Brazilian Union for the 1957 fiscal year by projecting expected revenues and authorizing specific government expenditures. It acts as the statutory budget that guides the Federal Government's financial operations for that period.

**Who was responsible for enacting this legislation?**
The statute was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under the leadership of President Juscelino Kubitschek on December 10, 1956. This action formalized the budget as a binding legal norm for the nation.

**Where can the full text of this law be accessed?**
The official text is available online through the Brazilian government's Planalto portal at the specific URL for laws between 1950 and 1969. It is also indexed in the LexML Brazil system, which provides a unique identifier for the document.

**Does this law apply to all levels of government in Brazil?**
No, the statute specifically applies to the Federal Government, referred to in the text as the "União Federal." It governs the budgetary activities of the national union rather than state or municipal entities.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 2996/1956 is a critical component of Brazil's fiscal history, representing the formal legal mechanism that authorized the federal government's spending and revenue collection for the year 1957. As a statute, it transforms abstract budgetary plans into enforceable legal norms, ensuring that the Union operates within a defined financial framework. This document is essential for understanding the economic policies of the Kubitschek administration, a period known for significant industrialization and infrastructure development in Brazil. Without this specific law, the federal government would lack the statutory authority to collect taxes or disburse funds for public services, highlighting its role as a foundational instrument of state administration. Furthermore, its inclusion in digital archives like LexML and Planalto ensures that historical fiscal data remains accessible for legal research, economic analysis, and transparency.

## Notable For
- **Specific Fiscal Mandate:** It is the definitive legal instrument for the 1957 Union budget, distinct from other laws by its singular focus on revenue estimation and expenditure fixation.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during a pivotal era of Brazilian development under President Juscelino Kubitschek, linking the law to the "50 years in 5" modernization plan.
- **Unique Identifier:** Possesses a standardized URN (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-12-10;2996) within the LexML Brazil system for precise digital citation.
- **Jurisdictional Specificity:** Explicitly targets the "União Federal" (Federal Union), distinguishing it from state or municipal budget laws.
- **Digital Preservation:** Fully digitized and accessible via the official Planalto government portal, ensuring long-term public access to the text.

## Body

### Definition and Legal Classification
Law No. 2996 of December 10, 1956, is formally classified as a **statute**, which is a formal written document that creates law. In the context of the Brazilian legal system, it functions as an act passed by the legislature and promulgated by the executive branch. It is an instance of a "legal term or legal concept" and falls under the subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." The law serves as the concrete manifestation of statutory law, specifically addressing the financial operations of the state. Structurally, it is composed of legal norms that dictate the financial behavior of the Federal Government for a defined period.

### Subject Matter and Scope
The primary subject of this statute is the **budget** (Orçamento) for the **Fiscal Year** (Exercicio Financeiro) of **1957**. The text explicitly states its function as estimating the revenue and fixing the expenditure of the Union (União Federal). This dual function is critical for the operation of the state:
- **Revenue Estimation:** The law projects the income the government expects to collect from taxes, fees, and other sources.
- **Expenditure Fixation:** It authorizes the specific amounts the government is permitted to spend on public services, infrastructure, and administrative costs.
The law is strictly limited to the jurisdiction of Brazil and applies to the Federal Government, excluding state and municipal budgets which are governed by separate legislation.

### Enactment and Promulgation
The legislative process for Law No. 2996 culminated on **December 10, 1956**. On this date, the law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The specific authority responsible for the promulgation was **Juscelino Kubitschek**, who served as the President of Brazil at the time. The determination method for this enactment was "promulgation," signifying the final step in the legislative process where the executive branch certifies the law's validity. The place of publication was recorded as **Rio de Janeiro**, which served as the capital of Brazil prior to the move to Brasília in 1960.

### Official Identification and Digital Access
To ensure precise referencing and digital integration, the law is assigned several unique identifiers:
- **LexML Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-12-10;2996`. This Uniform Resource Name (URN) allows for unambiguous citation within the Brazilian legal information system.
- **Official Web Presence:** The full text is hosted on the Planalto government portal at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l2996.htm`.
- **Legislative Reference:** It is also referenced in the Presidency's legislation database with a specific access token (`ato=b54IzYU90dNRVTa07`).
These identifiers facilitate the law's integration into knowledge graphs, legal databases, and academic research, ensuring that the document remains a verifiable part of the public record.

### Language and Cultural Context
The statute is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of the Federative Republic of Brazil. As a federal law, it is part of the broader corpus of Brazilian legislation that governs the nation's political and economic life. The document is part of the "Category:Act" in knowledge systems and is recognized as a standard legal instrument within the country's civil law tradition. Its existence in 1956 places it in the mid-20th century, a period of significant transformation for Brazil, and it reflects the administrative language and legal standards of that era.

### Relationship to Broader Legal Concepts
Law No. 2996/1956 exemplifies the concept of a statute as described in legal theory: a formal written document that creates law. It is distinct from general "legislation" or "legal acts" in that it is the specific, tangible record of the rule. It follows the creation of "draft laws" and is caused by the act of "legislation." As a public domain document, it is not subject to copyright restrictions, aligning with the "edict of government doctrine" which ensures that official legal texts are freely accessible to the public. This accessibility is crucial for transparency, allowing citizens, legal professionals, and researchers to review the financial mandates of the 1957 fiscal year without restriction.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-12-10;2996)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=2996&ano=1956&data=10/12/1956&ato=b54IzYU90dNRVTa07)
3. LexML Brasil