# Law No. 3372 of March 12, 1958

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649095](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649095)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3372-of-march-12-1958

## Summary
**Law No. 3372 of March 12, 1958** (Lei nº 3372, de 12 de março de 1958) is a Brazilian statute enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek. It establishes a special budgetary adjustment ("Crédito Especial") to provide financial aid to the Federal District. The law was published in Rio de Janeiro and applies to the Federative Republic of Brazil.

## Key Facts
- **Full Title:** Lei nº 3372, de 12 de março de 1958
- **Type of Instrument:** Statute (formal written document creating law)
- **Date of Publication:** March 12, 1958
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Promulgated By:** Juscelino Kubitschek (President)
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Main Subjects:** Special budgetary adjustment (Crédito Especial), Federal District (Distrito Federal), Financial Aid (Auxílio Financeiro), Ministry of Health of Brazil (Ministério da Saúde)
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3372/1958
- **LexML ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1958-03-12;3372
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3372.htm
- **Wikimedia Project:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What is the legal classification of Law No. 3372?**
It is classified as a **statute**, which is a formal written document that creates law. As a statute, it serves as a manifestation of statutory law and is considered a legal term and concept distinct from general legislation.

**What was the purpose of Law No. 3372?**
The law authorizes a **special budgetary adjustment** (known in Portuguese as *Crédito Especial*). Its specific objective was to provide **financial aid** (*Auxílio Financeiro*) to the **Federal District** (Distrito Federal), involving the **Ministry of Health of Brazil**.

**Who signed Law No. 3372 and where was it published?**
The law was approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** and promulgated by President **Juscelino Kubitschek** on March 12, 1958. It was published in **Rio de Janeiro**, which was the federal capital at that time (prior to the move to Brasília in 1960).

**Are Brazilian statutes like this one copyrighted?**
According to the "edict of government doctrine," statutes are generally in the **public domain**. As official legal documents enacted by a government authority, they are not subject to copyright restrictions, ensuring public access to the laws that govern society.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3372 of March 12, 1958, represents a specific exercise of executive and legislative authority in Brazil during the late 1950s. It matters as a concrete example of how the Brazilian government managed **special budgetary adjustments** to address specific regional and administrative needs, such as supporting the Federal District through the Ministry of Health.

Historically, the law is significant for its timing and location: signed by **Juscelino Kubitschek** and published in **Rio de Janeiro** in 1958, it dates to the period just before the inauguration of Brasília (April 1960). This places the law within the final years of Rio de Janeiro serving as the nation's capital, capturing a specific administrative moment in Brazilian history. As a **statute**, it functions as the tangible manifestation of statutory law, ensuring that the financial mandates and legal norms it contains are formally recorded, accessible, and enforceable.

## Notable For
- **Budgetary Authority:** Specifically establishes a "Crédito Especial" (Special Credit), a distinct financial mechanism for government expenditure.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the Juscelino Kubitschek administration, a pivotal era of Brazilian economic development and modernization.
- **Capital Context:** Published in Rio de Janeiro at a time when it was still the Federal Capital of Brazil (the capital moved to Brasília in 1960).
- **Public Accessibility:** As a statute, it is not copyrighted and is available via official government portals (Planalto) and legal identifiers (LexML).
- **Administrative Scope:** Illustrates the relationship between federal financial aid, the Ministry of Health, and the administration of the Federal District.

## Body

### Legal Definition and Classification
Law No. 3372 of March 12, 1958, is a **statute**. In legal taxonomy, a statute is defined as a formal written document that creates law. It is considered a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," distinct from but related to broader concepts like "legislation" or "legal act." As an instance of a statute, this law functions as a legal norm and a manifestation of statutory law. It follows the process of draft laws and is caused by legislation.

### Enactment and Promulgation
The law was officially approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The determination method used was **promulgation**, a formal proclamation that the law exists and is in effect. This action took place on **March 12, 1958**.

The specific political figure associated with this promulgation is **Juscelino Kubitschek**, who served as the President (qualifier: P1891). Kubitschek's presidency (1956–1961) is historically noted for its focus on rapid industrialization and infrastructure development.

### Subject Matter and Scope
The law addresses specific administrative and financial functions. Its primary component is the creation of a **special budgetary adjustment** (stated in the source as *Credito Especial*). The law directs this financial mechanism toward the following entities and concepts:

- **Special Budgetary Adjustment:** The core financial instrument utilized by the law.
- **Federal District:** The beneficiary of the law's provisions. In 1958, the Federal District referred to the city of Rio de Janeiro, which served as the capital until the creation of the new Federal District (Brasília).
- **Ministry of Health of Brazil:** The executive body involved (stated as *Ministerio Da Saude*), suggesting the funds were allocated for public health-related expenditures in the capital.
- **Financial Aid:** The nature of the assistance provided (stated as *Auxilio Financeiro*).

### Geopolitical and Historical Context
The law applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**. At the time of publication, Brazil was operating under the constitutional framework preceding the 1964 military regime, during the Fourth Brazilian Republic.

The **place of publication** was **Rio de Janeiro**. This detail confirms that the law was promulgated while Rio de Janeiro was still the administrative center of the country. The transition of the capital to Brasília occurred two years later in 1960. This law serves as a primary source document reflecting the administrative activities conducted from Rio de Janeiro during the Kubitschek era.

### Digital Identifiers and Accessibility
The law is cataloged and accessible through modern legal databases.
- **LexML Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1958-03-12;3372` (a standard URN for identifying Brazilian legal documents).
- **Official URL:** The full text is hosted by the official portal of the Brazilian Presidency at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3372.htm`.
- **Legal Citation:** It is cited as **Lei nº 3372/1958**.

### Language and Format
The language of the work is **Brazilian Portuguese**. As a legal document (statute), it falls under the broad classification of "legal terms or legal concepts" and shares the characteristics of public domain government documents, freely accessible to the citizenry. It is listed on **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its relevance to structured knowledge initiatives regarding Brazilian legislation.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1958-03-12;3372)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3372&ano=1958&data=12/03/1958&ato=55co3aq50dRRVTe61)