# Law No. 3637 of September 25, 1959

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648576](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648576)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3637-of-september-25-1959

## Summary
Law No. 3637 of September 25, 1959 is a Brazilian federal statute approved by President Juscelino Kubitschek that authorizes a special budgetary adjustment. Published in Rio de Janeiro, it primarily concerns funding allocation to the Ministry of Education for a religious organization in the municipality of Guaxupé, located in the state of Minas Gerais. It is a formal legal document classified as a statute and applies to Brazilian jurisdiction.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3637, de 25 de setembro de 1959 (Law No. 3637 of September 25, 1959).
- **Type of Document:** Statute (a formal written document that creates law).
- **Approval Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Approving Official:** Juscelino Kubitschek (via promulgation).
- **Publication Date:** September 25, 1959.
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- **Primary Subject:** Special budgetary adjustment ("Credito Especial").
- **Beneficiary Entities:** Ministry of Education ("Ministerio Da Educação - MEC") and a religious organization ("Instituição Religiosa").
- **Geographic Focus:** Guaxupé municipality and the state of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil.
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil.
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3637/1959.
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-09-25;3637.
- **Official URL:** Available at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3637.htm.
- **WikiProject Classification:** On the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws.

## FAQs
**What is the purpose of Law No. 3637/1959?**
The law authorizes a special budgetary adjustment ("Credito Especial"). Its specific function is to open credit for the Ministry of Education to benefit a religious organization in the municipality of Guaxupé, Minas Gerais.

**Who signed Law No. 3637/1959 into law?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and was promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek on September 25, 1959.

**Where was Law No. 3637/1959 published?**
The statute was published in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 25, 1959. It applies to the entire jurisdiction of Brazil.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3637 of September 25, 1959 represents a specific instance of federal legislative action in Brazil during the administration of President Juscelino Kubitschek. It serves as a historical record of the government's financial allocation mechanisms, specifically demonstrating how "special budgetary adjustments" were used to direct funds to specific entities—in this case, a religious organization in Minas Gerais via the Ministry of Education. As a statute, it embodies the formal, written manifestation of Brazilian statutory law during a period of significant development in the country (Rio de Janeiro was still the federal capital at this time). The law's existence is preserved through the Lexml Brazil system and the official archives of the Presidency, ensuring continued public access to the legal instruments that shaped national administration.

## Notable For
- **Specific Budgetary Allocation:** Notable for targeting a "special budgetary adjustment" specifically for a religious organization in Guaxupé, MG.
- **Historical Context:** Signed during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, a pivotal figure in Brazilian modernization, and published while Rio de Janeiro was still the federal capital (preceding the move to Brasília in April 1960).
- **Statute Classification:** A clear example of a Brazilian "statute"—a formal written document creating law, serving as a subclass of "written work" and "document."
- **Public Domain Legal Status:** As an official legal document, it is considered public domain, consistent with the "edict of government doctrine" regarding statutes.
- **Digital Preservation:** Fully integrated into Brazil's official legal databases (Lexml) and the Presidency's digital archives.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Type
Law No. 3637 of September 25, 1959 is classified as a **statute**. In legal taxonomy, a statute is a formal written document that creates law, acting as the concrete manifestation of statutory law. It is distinct from general legal concepts as it is specifically the written record enacted by an authority. This document falls under the broader category of "legal act" and "legislation" and contains "legal norms" as part of its composition.

### Origin and Enactment
The law originated from the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. It was officially approved via promulgation by **Juscelino Kubitschek**, who served as the President at the time. The date of both approval and publication is recorded as **September 25, 1959**. The official place of publication was **Rio de Janeiro**, which was the federal capital of Brazil at that time (the capital moved to Brasília on April 22, 1960).

### Subject Matter and Scope
The primary focus of Law No. 3637 is a **special budgetary adjustment** (referred to in the source as "Credito Especial"). The law establishes a credit opening intended to benefit the **Ministry of Education** ("Ministerio Da Educação - MEC"). The ultimate beneficiary of this allocation is identified as a **religious organization** ("Instituição Religiosa").

The law has a distinct geographic scope, applying specifically to the **municipality of Guaxupé** in the state of **Minas Gerais**. The document explicitly references "Guaxupe (Mg)" and "Estado De Minas Gerais (Mg)" in its main subject qualifiers.

### Jurisdiction and Language
This statute applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**. The language of the work is **Brazilian Portuguese**. The legal citation used to reference this text is **Lei nº 3637/1959**.

### Identifiers and Digital Access
The law is cataloged within Brazil's official legislative systems with the **Lexml Brazil ID**: `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-09-25;3637`. This Uniform Resource Name (URN) serves as a persistent identifier for the legal text. The full text of the law is accessible to the public via the official **Presidency of Brazil website** at the URL `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3637.htm`. It is also tracked and maintained as part of the **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**.

### Conceptual Context: Statute
As a statute, this entity shares characteristics common to its class. Statutes are generally considered to be in the **public domain** in jurisdictions like the United States and France (and by extension for Brazilian public acts, accessible to all) based on the principle that official legal documents are not copyrightable. This ensures the public has unrestrained access to the laws they must follow. The concept of a statute acts as an umbrella category including acts, executive orders, and by-laws, all serving as the primary instruments through which government authority is formally exercised and recorded.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-09-25;3637)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3637&ano=1959&data=25/09/1959&ato=2c1EzYq5UMRRVT60d)