# Law No. 3149 of May 21, 1957

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649699](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649699)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3149-of-may-21-1957

## Summary
Law No. 3149 of May 21, 1957, is a Brazilian federal statute enacted to organize the assistance and social security services for "economarios" (employees of economic institutions) and to provide other related provisions. Approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under Juscelino Kubitschek, this law serves as the legal framework for the administration, creation, and application of social benefits within this specific sector. It remains a foundational document in Brazilian social security history, published in Rio de Janeiro and accessible via official government archives.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3149, de 21 de maio de 1957.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3149/1957.
- **Publication Date:** May 21, 1957.
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Head of State at Enactment:** Juscelino Kubitschek.
- **Jurisdiction:** Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Legal Class:** Statute (formal written document creating law).
- **Primary Subject Matter:** Organization of assistance and social security services for "economarios."
- **Key Provisions:** Covers the creation, management, authorization, organization, competency, and use of social benefits.
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-05-21;3149.
- **Digital Access URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3149.htm.
- **Source References:** LexML Brazil (accessed 2021-01-28) and Presidency of the Republic legislation portal (accessed 2021-02-17).

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 3149/1957?**
The law was enacted to establish the organizational structure for assistance and social security services specifically designed for "economarios," a term referring to employees of economic institutions. It defines the administrative and operational rules necessary to manage these social benefits effectively.

**Who signed or approved this legislation?**
The statute was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, with Juscelino Kubitschek serving as the head of state at the time of its promulgation on May 21, 1957. This approval marked the formal enactment of the law into the Brazilian legal system.

**What specific areas does the law regulate?**
The legislation addresses a comprehensive range of topics including the creation of benefits, their administration, the authorization required for implementation, and the organizational structure of the services. It also delineates the competency of authorities and the specific application or use of these social security provisions.

**Where can the full text of this law be accessed online?**
The official text is available through the Brazilian government's Planalto portal at the URL https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3149.htm. Additionally, the law is indexed in the LexML Brazil system, which provides a unique identifier for digital retrieval.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3149 of May 21, 1957, is a critical piece of Brazilian social legislation because it formalized the state's role in providing structured social security and assistance to a specific and vital segment of the workforce known as "economarios." By defining the organizational framework for these services, the law ensured that social benefits were not merely ad-hoc measures but were governed by clear rules regarding their creation, management, and application. This legal certainty allowed for the systematic administration of social welfare, ensuring that employees in economic institutions received consistent support.

The statute's significance extends to its role in the broader history of Brazilian social security, as it represents a specific legislative effort to categorize and manage social rights during the Kubitschek administration. It established the legal "competency" and "authorization" mechanisms that allowed the government to enforce these services, thereby integrating a specific labor group into the national social safety net. For legal historians and social policy analysts, the law serves as a primary source for understanding how Brazil managed social security for specialized economic sectors in the mid-20th century. Its continued availability in official digital archives underscores its enduring status as a valid reference for legal citation and administrative history.

## Notable For
- **Specific Beneficiary Focus:** Uniquely targets "economarios" (employees of economic institutions) rather than the general population or a specific trade union.
- **Comprehensive Administrative Scope:** Explicitly covers the full lifecycle of social services, from "creation" and "authorization" to "management" and "use."
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, a period known for significant industrial and infrastructural development in Brazil.
- **Digital Preservation:** Fully digitized and indexed in the LexML Brazil system with the unique URN `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-05-21;3149`.
- **Official Citation Standard:** Recognized by the standard legal citation format "Lei nº 3149/1957" in Brazilian jurisprudence.
- **Multi-Subject Regulation:** Simultaneously addresses "benefit," "creation," "management," "authorization," "organization," "competency," and "application" within a single statute.

## Body

### Legislative Identity and Classification
Law No. 3149 is formally classified as a **statute**, defined as a formal written document that creates law. It falls under the broader category of Brazilian federal legislation and is an instance of a legal act enacted by the national government. The law is written in **Brazilian Portuguese** and applies exclusively to the jurisdiction of the **Federative Republic of Brazil**. Its legal identity is anchored by the citation **Lei nº 3149/1957** and the unique digital identifier **urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-05-21;3149** within the LexML Brazil system. This classification places it alongside other acts, executive orders, and by-laws that constitute the statutory law of the nation.

### Enactment and Promulgation History
The statute was officially approved and promulgated on **May 21, 1957**. At the time of its enactment, the head of state was **Juscelino Kubitschek**, who served as the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The approval process was executed by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, marking the final step in the legislative journey from draft law to binding statute. The law was published in **Rio de Janeiro**, which served as the capital of Brazil prior to the move to Brasília in 1960. The publication date and the place of publication are recorded in official government archives, specifically referenced in the Presidency's legislation portal and the LexML Brazil database.

### Subject Matter and Legal Provisions
The core function of Law No. 3149 is to **dispose on the organization of the assistance and social security services of the "economarios"** (employees of economic institutions) and to provide other necessary measures. The law is structured around several key thematic pillars that define its operational scope:
- **Benefit (Beneficio):** The law establishes the framework for the social benefits provided to the target group.
- **Creation (Criação):** It outlines the legal mechanisms for establishing new social security provisions.
- **Management (Administração):** The statute defines how these services are to be administered and managed.
- **Authorization (Autorização):** It specifies the authorization processes required for the implementation of these services.
- **Organization (Organização):** The law details the organizational structure necessary for the delivery of assistance.
- **Competency (Competencia):** It delineates the specific competencies of the authorities responsible for the law's execution.
- **Application (Aplicação):** The text governs the practical application and use of the social security measures.

These provisions collectively ensure that the social security system for "economarios" is not only established but also effectively organized, authorized, and managed within the Brazilian legal framework.

### Digital Availability and Authority Control
In the modern digital era, Law No. 3149 is preserved and accessible through official government channels. The full text of the law is available at the URL **https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3149.htm**, hosted on the Planalto website, which is the official portal for Brazilian legislation. The law is also indexed in the **LexML Brazil** project, a collaborative initiative to standardize legal metadata in Brazil, where it holds the unique identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-05-21;3149`. This digital preservation ensures that the statute remains accessible to legal professionals, researchers, and the public. The data regarding the law's metadata, including its title, country, and publication details, has been verified and referenced by sources such as the LexML Brazil portal (accessed January 28, 2021) and the Presidency of the Republic's legislation database (accessed February 17, 2021).

### Contextual Relationships and Jurisdiction
As a federal statute, Law No. 3149 operates within the specific jurisdiction of **Brazil**, a country in South America that declared independence from Portugal in 1822. The law is part of the broader legal ecosystem of the **Federative Republic of Brazil**, which is a federal republic with a presidential system. The statute's enactment in 1957 places it in a historical context of rapid development and modernization in Brazil, a period characterized by the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek. The law's focus on "economarios" reflects the specific economic and social priorities of the time, aiming to secure the welfare of employees within the economic sector. Its continued relevance is evidenced by its inclusion in legal databases and its citation in legal contexts, maintaining its status as a valid and active piece of legislation within the Brazilian legal system.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-05-21;3149)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3149&ano=1957&data=21/05/1957&ato=552QzZq5UMNRVT650)
3. LexML Brasil