# Law No. 3472 of December 1, 1958

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649350](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649350)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3472-of-december-1-1958

## Summary
**Law No. 3472 of December 1, 1958** is a Brazilian statute that authorizes a special budgetary adjustment (*Crédito Especial*) to provide funds to eleven distinct federal ministries. Promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek and published in Rio de Janeiro, it serves as a formal legal instrument for governmental financial allocation during the period of the Brazilian Republic.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3472, de 1 de dezembro de 1958
- **Classification:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Date of Publication:** December 1, 1958
- **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Approving Official:** Juscelino Kubitschek (President)
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Primary Subject:** Special Budgetary Adjustment (*Crédito Especial*)
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3472/1958
- **Lexml ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1958-12-01;3472`
- **Beneficiary Ministries:** Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of War, Ministry of Education, Ministry of the Navy, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice and Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty), Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Aeronautics, Ministry of Labour, Industry and Commerce.
- **Copyright Status:** Public Domain (per edict of government doctrine)
- **Available At:** `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3472.htm`

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 3472?**
The law establishes a special budgetary adjustment, known as a *Crédito Especial*, to allocate specific funds across various sectors of the federal administration.

**Which government departments are covered by this legislation?**
The law allocates resources to eleven specific ministries: Agriculture, War, Education, Navy, Health, Justice and Interior, Foreign Affairs, Transport, Finance, Aeronautics, and Labour, Industry and Commerce.

**Who signed Law No. 3472?**
The statute was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, acting under the administration of President Juscelino Kubitschek.

**Where was the law originally published?**
The statute was published in Rio de Janeiro, which served as the capital of Brazil at the time of the law's enactment in 1958 (prior to the move to Brasília in 1960).

**Is the text of this law subject to copyright?**
No. As a statute and official government edict in Brazil, the text is part of the public domain, meaning it is not subject to copyright restrictions.

## Why It Matters
This statute is significant as a primary example of Brazilian administrative law during the democratic period preceding the 1964 military coup. It illustrates the fiscal mechanisms employed by the Kubitschek administration (1955–1961)—a period noted for its ambitious development goals ("50 years in 5")—to manage federal resources across military, civil, and economic sectors.

The law also serves as a historical marker for the structure of the Brazilian government prior to the relocation of the capital to Brasília. Published in Rio de Janeiro, it reflects the administrative organization of the republic when the three military ministries (War, Navy, and Aeronautics) operated separately, a structure that would later change after the creation of the Ministry of Defense in 1999. Furthermore, as a "statute," it embodies the concept of the "edict of government," ensuring that legal mandates remain accessible, enforceable, and free from copyright, thereby reinforcing the rule of law and public transparency.

## Notable For
- **Pre-Brasília Publication:** Notable for being published in Rio de Janeiro, the federal capital in 1958, two years before the inauguration of Brasília.
- **Tri-Service Military Funding:** Reflects the distinct existence of the Ministry of War, Ministry of the Navy, and Ministry of Aeronautics, which later merged into the Ministry of Defense.
- **Comprehensive Scope:** Allocates funds across a wide spectrum of government functions, from health and education to national defense and finance.
- **Digital Preservation:** Fully integrated into modern digital legal frameworks via the Lexml and Planalto government portals, ensuring ongoing accessibility.
- **Statutory Classification:** Exemplifies the legal definition of a statute as a public domain document that manifests statutory law.

## Body

### Definition and Legal Classification
Law No. 3472 is formally classified as a **statute**. In legal taxonomy, a statute is a formal written document that creates law; it is a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." It functions as the manifestation of statutory law and contains legal norms. As an edict of the Brazilian government, the text is in the **public domain**, ensuring it is not subject to copyright restrictions. This aligns with the global principle that official legal documents must be freely accessible to the public they govern.

### Legislative Content and Budgetary Scope
The core function of Law No. 3472 is to authorize a **special budgetary adjustment** (*Crédito Especial*). This financial mechanism allows the government to allocate funds beyond the standard annual budget to meet specific needs. The law specifically directs these resources to the following ministries, as identified in the legal text:

- **Ministry of Agriculture** (*Ministerio Da Agricultura*)
- **Ministry of War** (*Ministerio Da Guerra*)
- **Ministry of Education** (*Ministerio Da Educação*)
- **Ministry of the Navy** (*Ministerio Da Marinha*)
- **Ministry of Health** (*Ministerio Da Saude*)
- **Ministry of Justice and Interior** (*Ministerio Da Justiça E Negocios Interiores*)
- **Ministry of Foreign Affairs** (*Itamaraty*)
- **Ministry of Transport** (*Ministerio Da Viação E Obras Publicas*)
- **Ministry of Finance** (*Ministerio Da Fazenda*)
- **Ministry of Aeronautics** (*Ministerio Da Aeronautica*)
- **Ministry of Labour, Industry and Commerce** (*Ministerio Do Trabalho Industria E Comercio*)

### Historical and Political Context
The law was enacted during the presidency of **Juscelino Kubitschek**, a pivotal figure in Brazilian history known for his rapid industrialization policies and the construction of Brasília. The date of the law, **December 1, 1958**, places it in the middle of Kubitschek's term (1955–1960).

At this time, the **Federative Republic of Brazil** operated with its capital in **Rio de Janeiro**. The country was a presidential representative democratic republic. The period was characterized by significant economic development but also rising inflation, necessitating specific financial laws like this "Special Credit" to manage state expenditures.

### Geography of Publication
The **place of publication** is listed as **Rio de Janeiro**. Geographically, Rio de Janeiro is a coastal city in the Southeast region of Brazil. Historically, it served as the capital of the State of Brazil (a Portuguese colony) starting in 1549, and later the capital of the independent Empire and Republic of Brazil until 1960. The publication of the law in this city underscores the administrative reality of Brazil in the late 1950s, before the federal government was transferred to the planned city of Brasília on April 22, 1960.

### Technical Identifiers and Access
The law is cataloged within Brazilian legal databases using specific identifiers to ensure retrievability and authority.
- **Lexml URN:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1958-12-01;3472`
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3472/1958
- **Online Access:** The full text is hosted by the Presidency of the Republic at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3472.htm`.

### Relation to Brazil
The law applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil** (officially the Federative Republic of Brazil). As the largest country in South America and the fifth-largest by area globally, Brazil operates under a civil law legal system where statutes (Leis) are the primary instruments of government authority. This law is a product of the federal legislative process, emanating from the executive branch's budgetary authority.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1958-12-01;3472)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3472&ano=1958&data=01/12/1958&ato=586EzaE90dRRVT89f)