# Law No. 3557 of May 17, 1959

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648745](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648745)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3557-of-may-17-1959

## Summary
**Law No. 3557 of May 17, 1959** (Portuguese: *Lei nº 3557, de 17 de maio de 1959*) is a Brazilian federal statute that authorizes the opening of extraordinary credit for the Ministry of Education (MEC) to provide financial grants (*subvenções*) to educational institutions. Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, it was promulgated and published in Rio de Janeiro on May 17, 1959. As a formal statute, it serves as an official manifestation of statutory law applicable to the Federative Republic of Brazil.

## Key Facts
- **Full Title:** Lei nº 3557, de 17 de maio de 1959.
- **Law Type:** Statute (formal written document that creates law).
- **Date of Promulgation:** May 17, 1959.
- **Approving Body:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Promulgating President:** Juscelino Kubitschek.
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil.
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro.
- **Main Subjects:** Educational institution (*Instituição Educacional*), Ministry of Education (*Ministerio Da Educação - MEC*), Grant (*Subvenção*).
- **Legal Function:** Authorizes the opening of extraordinary credit.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3557/1959.
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-05-17;3557`.
- **Official URL:** `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3557.htm`.
- **Wikidata Description:** Brazilian law.

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 3557/1959?**
The law authorizes the federal government, specifically the Ministry of Education (MEC), to open an extraordinary credit line to provide financial grants to educational institutions.

**Who signed Law No. 3557/1959 into effect?**
The statute was promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek in his capacity as the head of the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

**Where and when was this law published?**
The law was published in Rio de Janeiro on May 17, 1959, which was then the federal capital of Brazil.

**Is this law considered a public document?**
Yes, as a statute, it is a formal legal document that falls under the "edict of government doctrine," meaning it is a public domain official record of legal rules enacted by the government.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3557 of May 17, 1959, represents a specific instance of federal intervention in the Brazilian educational sector during the late 1950s. By authorizing "extraordinary credit," the statute enabled the Ministry of Education to bypass standard budgetary restrictions to deliver financial grants to educational institutions. This mechanism highlights the government's priority to secure funding for education outside the regular fiscal cycle. As a manifestation of statutory law, it ensures the legality and enforceability of these financial transfers, serving as a concrete record of the state's obligation to support educational entities. Its enactment under President Juscelino Kubitschek places it within a significant historical period of Brazilian development and modernization.

## Notable For
- **Targeted Educational Funding:** Specifically facilitates grants (*subvenções*) for educational institutions.
- **Budgetary Mechanism:** Authorizes "extraordinary credit," a special financial allocation distinct from the ordinary budget.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek (1956–1961), a period characterized by ambitious development goals like "50 years in 5."
- **Capital City Record:** Published in Rio de Janeiro, which served as the capital of Brazil until April 1960, almost a year after this law was enacted.
- **Digital Preservation:** Fully accessible via the official Planalto government portal and indexed with a structured Lexml URN.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Ontology
Law No. 3557 of May 17, 1959, is formally classified as a **statute**. In legal ontology, a statute is defined as a formal written document that creates law, acting as a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." It serves as the physical or formal expression of a legal rule and a manifestation of statutory law. The entity is equivalent to the `https://schema.org/Legislation` class used in structured data. As a legal norm enacted by the Brazilian government, it falls within the broader concepts of "law" and "legal act."

### Enactment and Authority
The statute was formally **approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The promulgation method was utilized on **May 17, 1959**, with **Juscelino Kubitschek** serving as the approving authority. This places the law within the executive-legislative framework of the Brazilian federal government. The law applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil** and is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**.

### Subject Matter and Function
According to the structured properties of the law, the **main subjects** are:
-   **Educational Institution** (stated as *Instituição Educacional*): The primary beneficiary of the law's provision.
-   **Ministry of Education** (stated as *Ministerio Da Educação - MEC*): The government body responsible for administering the funding.
-   **Grant** (stated as *Subvenção*): The financial instrument utilized.

The law's functional role is to authorize the **opening of extraordinary credit**. In public administration, extraordinary credits are allocations made for unforeseen or urgent expenses, separate from the fixed annual budget. This law specifically enables such credits to facilitate financial grants to the educational sector.

### Publication and Identification
The law was officially published in **Rio de Janeiro** on **May 17, 1959**. To ensure precise identification within the Brazilian legal system, the law is assigned the **Lexml Brazil ID**: `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-05-17;3557`. This Uniform Resource Name (URN) serves as a unique and permanent identifier for the digital version of the legal text.

The official text is hosted on the **Planalto government website** (`https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3557.htm`), ensuring public accessibility.

### Related Entities
-   **Brazil:** The country of origin and jurisdiction, a federal republic in South America.
-   **Juscelino Kubitschek:** The President of Brazil at the time, known for his "Target Plan" and the construction of Brasília.
-   **Ministry of Education (MEC):** The federal ministry tasked with executing the provisions of this statute.
-   **WikiProject Brazilian Laws:** This law is listed as a focus item for this Wikimedia project, indicating its relevance for collaborative documentation of Brazilian legislation.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-05-17;3557)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3557&ano=1959&data=17/05/1959&ato=ab9ITRU5UMRRVT191)