# Law No. 3538 of February 2, 1959

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648627](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648627)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3538-of-february-2-1959

## Summary
Law No. 3538 of February 2, 1959 is a Brazilian federal statute that grants a special financial aid credit of 10,000,000.00 to the Society for the Construction of the Popular Maternity (School) of Fortaleza. Promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek under the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the legislation authorizes a specific budgetary adjustment to support healthcare infrastructure in the municipality of Fortaleza, state of Ceará. This law is categorized as a formal written document and legal act involving the Ministry of Health of Brasil.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3538, de 2 de fevereiro de 1959
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3538/1959
- **Date of Approval:** February 2, 1959
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (Federal)
- **Instance Of:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Grant Amount:** CR 10,000,000.00 (Cruzeiros)
- **Beneficiary:** Sociedade Pro- Construção da Maternidade Popular (Escola) de Fortaleza
- **Primary Location:** Fortaleza, Municipality, State of Ceará
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Approving President:** Juscelino Kubitschek (via promulgation)
- **Involved Ministry:** Ministry of Health of Brasil (Ministerio Da Saude)
- **Purpose Classification:** Special budgetary adjustment (Credito Especial) and Financial aid (Auxilio Financeiro)
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **LexML Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-02-02;3538
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3538.htm
- **WikiProject:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs

**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 3538/1959?**
The law's primary purpose is to authorize a special financial aid grant of 10,000,000.00 Cruzeiros to the "Sociedade Pro- Construção da Maternidade Popular (Escola) de Fortaleza" to assist in the construction of a maternity hospital and school.

**Who authorized and promulgated this law?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek on February 2, 1959.

**Which regions and municipalities are affected by this law?**
While the law is a federal statute applying to Brazil, it specifically targets the municipality of Fortaleza in the state of Ceará for the allocation of funds.

**How is the funding categorized in the legislation?**
The funding is categorized as a "special budgetary adjustment" (Credito Especial) and as "financial aid" (Auxilio Financeiro), involving the Ministry of Health of Brasil.

**Where can the official text of the law be found?**
The official text is available at the Brazilian Presidency's website (planalto.gov.br) and is identified in the LexML system under the ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-02-02;3538`.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3538 matters because it represents a concrete example of the Brazilian federal government's use of special budgetary credits to support specific regional healthcare infrastructure during the late 1950s. By explicitly allocating funds to a civil society organization—the Society for the Construction of the Popular Maternity (School)—the legislation highlights the collaborative role between the state and private entities in addressing public health needs in Ceará. Furthermore, the law serves as a historical artifact of the Juscelino Kubitschek administration, reflecting the governmental mechanisms used to execute financial aid and promote development in municipal areas. As a formal statute, it also underscores the legal procedural requirements of promulgation and publication in the Official Diary (implied by place of publication in Rio de Janeiro) required for such appropriations to become enforceable.

## Notable For
- **Targeted Infrastructure Funding:** Specifically designates 10,000,000.00 Cruzeiros for the construction of a "Popular Maternity (School)" in Fortaleza.
- **Presidential Association:** Promulgated by Juscelino Kubitschek, a significant figure in Brazilian history known for developmentalist policies.
- **Legal Classification:** Formally identified as a "special budgetary adjustment" (Credito Especial), a specific financial mechanism within Brazilian law.
- **Institutional Collaboration:** Involves the Ministry of Health of Brasil in support of a specific societal project in Ceará.
- **Digital Accessibility:** Indexed in the LexML system and preserved on the official Planalto government portal.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Nature
Law No. 3538 of February 2, 1959 is classified as a **statute**, defined as a formal written document that creates law. It serves as a manifestation of statutory law within the Brazilian legal system, distinct from abstract legal concepts but functioning as a concrete legal act. The document is written in **Brazilian Portuguese** and applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**. It is formally cited as **Lei nº 3538/1959** and holds the LexML Brazil identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-02-02;3538`, ensuring its standardized referencing within legal databases.

### Legislative Purpose and Financial Allocation
The core substance of the law is the authorization of a **special budgetary adjustment** (Credito Especial). This adjustment manifests as **financial aid** (Auxilio Financeiro) in the amount of **CR 10,000,000.00**. The specific recipient of these funds is the **Sociedade Pro- Construção da Maternidade Popular (Escola) de Fortaleza**. The text explicitly links this funding to the state of **Ceará** and the **municipality** of **Fortaleza**, indicating a targeted legislative effort to support healthcare infrastructure in that specific locality.

### Executive Approval and Authority
The statute was **approved by** the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The determination method for this approval was **promulgation**, which occurred on the **point in time** of **February 2, 1959**. The sitting president responsible for this promulgation was **Juscelino Kubitschek**. This places the law within the context of the Kubitschek administration, a period marked by extensive development and infrastructure projects within Brazil.

### Institutional Connections
The law identifies the **Ministry of Health of Brasil** (Ministerio Da Saude) as a main subject, indicating the ministry's involvement or oversight in the disbursement or purpose of the funds. Additionally, the law is tracked within the scope of **WikiProject Brazilian Laws** on Wikimedia projects, highlighting its recognition as a notable legal entity in open knowledge bases.

### Publication and Metadata
The **place of publication** for this law is listed as **Rio de Janeiro**, which was the capital of Brazil at the time (the capital moved to Brasília later in 1960). The **publication date** is recorded as **February 2, 1959**. The official work is available at the URL `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3538.htm`, hosted on the Presidência da República domain. The law is also referenced by its title, **Lei nº 3538, de 2 de fevereiro de 1959**, and includes the alias **Lei nº 3538, de 2 de fevereiro de 1959**.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-02-02;3538)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3538&ano=1959&data=02/02/1959&ato=210QzYE5UMRRVT591)
3. LexML Brasil