# Law No. 3378 of April 2, 1958

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649105](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649105)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3378-of-april-2-1958

## Summary
Law No. 3378 of April 2, 1958, is a Brazilian statute promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek that established special budgetary adjustments and financial aid. The law primarily concerns the Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs (Ministério da Justiça e Negócios Interiores), specifically authorizing credits for religious organizations and regional assistance across the states of Rio de Janeiro, Pará, São Paulo, and Amazonas.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3378, de 2 de abril de 1958.
- **Country of Origin:** Brazil.
- **Promulgation Date:** April 2, 1958.
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically signed by Juscelino Kubitschek.
- **Legal Classification:** Statute (formal written document that creates law).
- **Primary Subjects:** Special budgetary adjustment (Crédito Especial), financial aid (Auxílio Financeiro), and religious organizations (Instituição Religiosa).
- **Responsible Government Body:** Ministério da Justiça e Negócios Interiores (Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs).
- **Jurisdictions Affected:** Rio de Janeiro, Pará, São Paulo, and Amazonas.
- **Official Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3378/1958.
- **LexML Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1958-04-02;3378.
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro.
- **Project Affiliation:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws.

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 3378 of 1958?**
The law was enacted to facilitate special budgetary adjustments, known as "Crédito Especial," and to provide financial aid. Its focus was directed toward religious institutions and specific regional needs within the Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs' purview.

**Who was the head of state when this law was approved?**
The law was approved and promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek. At the time of its publication in 1958, the seat of the Brazilian government was still located in Rio de Janeiro.

**Which specific regions of Brazil are addressed by this legislation?**
The statute identifies four specific states as main subjects for its provisions: Rio de Janeiro, Pará, São Paulo, and Amazonas. These jurisdictions were the intended recipients of the financial aid or budgetary adjustments outlined in the text.

**How is this law classified within the broader legal system?**
It is classified as a statute, which is a formal written document that serves as a manifestation of statutory law. In the context of global structured data, it is considered an equivalent to the `https://schema.org/Legislation` class.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3378 of April 2, 1958, serves as a concrete manifestation of statutory law during a transformative period in Brazilian history. By authorizing "Crédito Especial" (special credits), the federal government exercised its authority to provide targeted financial assistance to religious organizations and specific states, ranging from the industrial hub of São Paulo to the Amazonian region. As a statute, it provides a permanent, written record of legal norms that governed the distribution of public funds and the administration of the Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs under the Kubitschek administration. Furthermore, as an official legal document, it resides in the public domain, ensuring that the mandates of the government remain accessible to the citizenry it governs.

## Notable For
- **Executive Promulgation:** Signed into law by President Juscelino Kubitschek, the leader responsible for the "Fifty Years in Five" development plan and the later founding of Brasília.
- **Targeted Financial Aid:** Specifically highlights "Instituição Religiosa" (religious organizations) as a primary subject for federal financial support.
- **Geographic Diversity:** Its subject matter spans the vast geography of Brazil, including the northern rainforest state of Amazonas and the southeastern economic center of São Paulo.
- **Administrative Record:** Acts as an official record for the Ministério da Justiça e Negócios Interiores, reflecting the administrative priorities of the late 1950s.
- **Public Domain Status:** As a statute, it is an official legal document exempt from copyright, reinforcing the principle of open access to legislative enactments.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Definition
Law No. 3378 of April 2, 1958, is categorized as a **statute**, a formal written document enacted to create law. In legal taxonomy, it is a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." It functions as the tangible manifestation of statutory law and is composed of legal norms. Within global knowledge systems, this entity is recognized as an equivalent to the `Legislation` class used in semantic web ontologies.

### Historical and Administrative Context
The law was promulgated on April 2, 1958, by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** under the leadership of **Juscelino Kubitschek**. At the time of its enactment, the capital of Brazil was **Rio de Janeiro**, which also served as the law's place of publication. This was two years prior to the official transfer of the capital to Brasília in 1960. The law is written in **Brazilian Portuguese** and is officially cited as **Lei nº 3378/1958**.

### Subject Matter and Scope
The statute focuses on several key areas of federal administration and finance:
- **Ministry Involvement:** The primary government body associated with the law is the **Ministério da Justiça e Negócios Interiores** (Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs).
- **Budgetary Adjustments:** The law authorizes a **Crédito Especial** (special budgetary adjustment), a mechanism used by the Brazilian government to allocate funds for purposes not previously covered in the general budget.
- **Financial Aid:** A significant portion of the law concerns **Auxílio Financeiro** (financial aid) specifically intended for **Instituição Religiosa** (religious organizations).
- **Geographic Jurisdictions:** The law's provisions apply to and focus on four distinct Brazilian states:
    - **Rio de Janeiro** (RJ)
    - **São Paulo** (SP)
    - **Pará** (PA)
    - **Amazonas** (AM)

### Technical Identifiers and Documentation
Law No. 3378 is indexed within the Brazilian legal database system, **LexML Brazil**, with the unique identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1958-04-02;3378`. The full text of the work is maintained by the Brazilian government and is available through the official portal of the Presidency (planalto.gov.br). It is also a subject of interest for the **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, a project dedicated to the organization and documentation of Brazil's legislative history.

### Broader Legal Framework
As a statute, Law No. 3378 shares characteristics with other formal legal instruments such as acts, executive orders, and by-laws. Under the "edict of government doctrine," such legislative enactments are generally considered to be in the **public domain**. This ensures that the official records of government authority, including those involving special credits and financial aid to religious institutions, remain accessible for public reference and judicial review. The law follows the standard progression of legal creation, originating as a "draft law" before being transformed into a binding rule through the act of legislation.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1958-04-02;3378)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3378&ano=1958&data=02/04/1958&ato=662ETQ650dRRVTb2c)