# Law No. 3611 of August 11, 1959

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648631](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648631)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3611-of-august-11-1959

## Summary
Law No. 3611 of August 11, 1959 is a Brazilian federal statute that authorizes the Executive Branch to acquire the artistic estate of the deceased sculptor Newton Sa. It was promulgated during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek and is specifically linked to a special budgetary adjustment for the Ministry of Education, relating to the state of Maranhão and the installation of a municipal facility.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3611, de 11 de agosto de 1959
- **Alias:** Lei nº 3611/1959
- **Publication Date:** August 11, 1959
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (federal law)
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Type:** Statute (instance of)
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, under President Juscelino Kubitschek, via promulgation
- **Primary Purpose (Law Digest):** AUTORIZA O PODER EXECUTIVO A ADQUIRIR O ACERVO ARTISTICO DO FALECIDO ESCULTOR NEWTON SA (Authorizes the Executive Power to acquire the artistic estate of the deceased sculptor Newton Sa)
- **Main Subjects:** Special budgetary adjustment ("Credito Especial"), the state of Maranhão ("Estado Do Maranhão (Ma)"), purchasing ("Aquisição"), the Ministry of Education ("Ministerio Da Educação (Mec)"), and installation/creation ("Instalação") within a municipality ("Municipio")
- **Structured Identifiers:** LexML Brazil ID: `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-08-11;3611`
- **Official Text URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3611.htm
- **Wikidata Focus:** On the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws
- **Classification:** A formal written document that creates law (statute)

## FAQs
**What is the core purpose of Law No. 3611/1959?**
The law's primary function, as stated in its digest, is to authorize the Brazilian Executive Branch to purchase the complete artistic collection left by the sculptor Newton Sa. This authorization is tied to a specific "special credit" budgetary mechanism.

**Which government bodies and officials are directly involved with this law?**
The law was promulgated by the Presidency of the Republic, specifically under President Juscelino Kubitschek on the date of its publication. Its operational subjects involve the federal Ministry of Education (MEC) and pertain to the state of Maranhão and a specific municipal installation project.

**What is the nature of the financial mechanism used in this law?**
The law utilizes a "special budgetary adjustment," known in Portuguese as "Credito Especial." This is a specific type of fiscal authorization that reallocates or provides funds for a particular, often unforeseen, purpose outside the regular annual budget cycle.

**Where can the full, official text of this 1959 Brazilian law be accessed?**
The complete text of Law No. 3611 is available in its original Portuguese on the official Brazilian government legislative portal, Planalto.gov.br, at the specific URL provided in the structured data.

**How is this law formally cited in legal and academic contexts?**
The standard legal citation for this statute is "Lei nº 3611/1959," which combines its sequential number with its year of enactment. This citation format is consistent with Brazilian legal referencing conventions.

**Why is this particular law tracked by a Wikimedia project?**
This law is on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating it is considered a notable or representative piece of legislation within the scope of Brazilian federal statutes that the project aims to document and improve on Wikidata and Wikipedia.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3611/1959 matters as a specific instance of legislative action enabling the federal government, through the Ministry of Education, to acquire a significant cultural asset—the artistic collection of Newton Sa—for a public purpose in Maranhão. It exemplifies the use of a "special credit" (Credito Especial), a budgetary tool that allows for targeted funding outside the standard appropriations process, often for urgent or specific projects. The law's focus on acquiring an artist's estate for an educational ministry highlights a mid-20th century Brazilian governmental approach to cultural preservation and integration into public educational or institutional spaces. Its documentation and preservation in official repositories like the Planalto portal and LexML Brazil ensure continued access to this piece of legal and cultural history, contributing to the transparency and historical record of Brazilian legislative activity.

## Notable For
- **Specific Cultural Acquisition:** It is notable for its singular, documented purpose of acquiring the complete artistic estate of a specific named individual, the sculptor Newton Sa.
- **Budgetary Mechanism:** It employs a "special credit" (Credito Especial), a specific type of budgetary authorization, rather than a standard annual appropriation.
- **Geographic Specificity:** The law's implementation is explicitly tied to the state of Maranhão and a municipal installation, providing a clear geographic and administrative focus.
- **Institutional Target:** The beneficiary ministry is explicitly the Ministry of Education (MEC), indicating the intended use of the acquired art collection was for an educational or cultural institution under that ministry's purview.
- **Historical Context:** It is a product of the Juscelino Kubitschek administration (1956-1961), a period marked by significant developmentalist policies and the construction of Brasília.
- **Documentation:** It has a stable, permanent identifier (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-08-11;3611`) within Brazil's official LexML system and a persistent URL on the Planalto government site.
- **WikiProject Recognition:** Its inclusion on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws marks it as a law of interest for structured data projects documenting Brazilian legislation.

## Body

### Legislative Details and Textual References
*   **Official Designation:** The law is formally titled "Lei nº 3611, de 11 de agosto de 1959" and is commonly cited as "Lei nº 3611/1959".
*   **Date and Place of Promulgation:** It was promulgated on August 11, 1959, in Rio de Janeiro, which was the capital of Brazil at the time.
*   **Structured Data Identifier:** It possesses a unique LexML Brazil identifier: `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-08-11;3611`. This URN (Uniform Resource Name) provides a persistent, location-independent reference to the law's digital representation.
*   **Access to Primary Source:** The authoritative, official text of the law is available online at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3611.htm` on the Presidência da República's legislative portal.
*   **Language:** The law was written and is published in Brazilian Portuguese (`pt-BR`).

### Jurisdictional and Institutional Context
*   **Sovereign Jurisdiction:** The law applies to and was enacted by the Federative Republic of Brazil (`Brasil`).
*   **Enacting Authority:** It was approved and promulgated by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The structured data specifies this occurred under the presidency of **Juscelino Kubitschek** on the law's date of publication, August 11, 1959. The method of enactment is noted as "promulgation" (`promulgação`).
*   **Primary Implementing Body:** The law's operational subject is the **Ministry of Education** (`Ministerio Da Educação (Mec)`), indicating this federal ministry was the intended agent for executing the acquisition.
*   **Geographic Focus:** The law's effect is specifically directed toward the **state of Maranhão** (`Estado Do Maranhão (Ma)`) and concerns the **installation/creation** (`Instalação`) within a **municipality** (`Municipio`). This pins the project's location to a specific local government area within Maranhão.
*   **Fiscal Mechanism:** The authorization is granted through a **special budgetary adjustment** (`Credito Especial`). This is a specific legislative tool that opens a non-standard credit line in the federal budget for a defined, often urgent or specific, purpose.

### Core Subject Matter and Purpose
*   **Central Action:** The law's digest states its core purpose: **"AUTORIZA O PODER EXECUTIVO A ADQUIRIR O ACERVO ARTISTICO DO FALECIDO ESCULTOR NEWTON SA"** (Authorizes the Executive Power to acquire the artistic estate of the deceased sculptor Newton Sa).
*   **Object of Acquisition:** The subject of the purchase is the complete **artistic estate** (`acervo artístico`) of the individual **Newton Sa**, identified as a sculptor (`escultor`) who was deceased at the time of the law's enactment.
*   **Nature of Transaction:** The law authorizes a **purchasing** (`Aquisição`) action, a transfer of ownership of cultural property from a private estate (or its heirs) to the federal government.
*   **Intended Use/Context:** The acquisition is linked to the **installation** (`Instalação`) of something, presumably the acquired art collection, within a **municipality** in the **state of Maranhão**, under the purview of the **Ministry of Education**. This suggests the art was destined for a public educational or cultural institution, such as a museum, school, or cultural center, in that state.

### Project and Knowledge Base Context
*   **Wikimedia Focus:** This specific law is included on the **focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws**. This indicates it is considered a statute of sufficient notability or representative value to be a priority for documentation and structured data enhancement on Wikimedia platforms like Wikidata.
*   **Instance of a Broader Class:** Structurally, Law No. 3611 is an instance of a **statute**. A statute is defined as a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. This law is a specific "act" passed by the Brazilian legislature.
*   **Knowledge Base Description:** Its Wikidata description is succinctly given as "Brazilian law," correctly placing it within the national legal corpus.

### Synthesis of Relationships
The law creates a direct chain of relationships: The **Federal Legislature** (via the law) authorizes the **Executive Branch** (the Presidency and, operationally, the **Ministry of Education**) to execute a **purchase** (`Aquisição`) of a specific **cultural asset** (Newton Sa's artistic estate). This transaction is funded through a **special budgetary credit** (`Credito Especial`) and is geographically targeted for **installation** (`Instalação`) in a **municipality** within the **state of Maranhão**. The entire process is governed by the federal jurisdiction of **Brazil** and was initiated under President **Juscelino Kubitschek** in **1959**.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-08-11;3611)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3611&ano=1959&data=11/08/1959&ato=59dATSq5UMRRVT46d)
3. LexML Brasil