# Law No. 3678 of December 4, 1959

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648687](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648687)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3678-of-december-4-1959

## Summary
Law No. 3678 of December 4, 1959 is a Brazilian federal statute that modifies Law No. 3.353 of December 20, 1957, explicitly without increasing expenses. Promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under President Juscelino Kubitschek, the law was published in Rio de Janeiro and is formally cited as *Lei nº 3678/1959*. It is classified as a formal written document and a legal manifestation of statutory law within the Brazilian jurisdiction.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3678, de 4 de dezembro de 1959.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3678/1959.
- **Date of Approval/Promulgation:** December 4, 1959.
- **Date of Publication:** December 4, 1959.
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (Federal).
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Approving President:** Juscelino Kubitschek.
- **Type of Legislation:** Statute (formal written document).
- **Legal Action:** Modifies Law No. 3.353 of December 20, 1957.
- **Fiscal Condition:** Alters the referenced law without increasing expenditure ("ALTERA SEM AUMENTO DE DESPESA").
- **Main Subjects:** Agreement (stated as "Convenio"), Change (stated as "Alteração").
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-04;3678.
- **Source URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3678.htm.
- **WikiProject:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws.

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 3678/1959?**
This law serves to alter Law No. 3.353, which was enacted on December 20, 1957. Specifically, it implements these changes without increasing the financial expenses associated with the original legislation.

**Who signed Law No. 3678 into effect?**
The law was promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The specific determination method was promulgation, and the acting President at the time was Juscelino Kubitschek.

**Where can the official text of this law be found?**
The work is available at the official Brazilian government URL: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3678.htm. It is also indexed in legal databases under the Lexml Brazil ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-04;3678`.

**In what language is the law written?**
The language of work or name for this statute is Brazilian Portuguese. It was published in Rio de Janeiro, which was the capital of Brazil at the time of publication in 1959.

**Is Law No. 3678 considered a statute?**
Yes, this entity is classified as an instance of a "statute." As such, it is a formal written document that creates or modifies law, functioning as a subclass of a written work and a rule.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3678 matters as a distinct legislative instrument within the Brazilian legal corpus, specifically adjusting the framework established by Law No. 3.353. Its significance lies in its fiscal constraint—modifying existing legal arrangements (specifically "Convenios" or agreements) without increasing government expenditure, which reflects the budgetary priorities or constraints of the Kubitschek administration in the late 1950s. As a statute, it represents the formal, tangible manifestation of statutory law, ensuring that legal rules are documented and enforceable. Because statutes in Brazil are generally considered public domain works, this law remains freely accessible to the public, reinforcing the principles of open government and the rule of law by allowing citizens unrestrained access to the legal texts governing them.

## Notable For
- **Fiscal Modification:** Notably alters a previous law (Lei 3.353) with the explicit condition of "sem aumento de despesa" (without increasing expense).
- **Presidential Context:** Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, a pivotal period in Brazilian history that included the construction of Brasília.
- **Pre-Capital Transition:** Published in Rio de Janeiro in December 1959, just months before the official transfer of the federal capital to Brasília in April 1960.
- **Digital Archiving:** Recognized and indexed by WikiProject Brazilian Laws and the Lexml legal system with a specific URN identifier.
- **Legal Classification:** Formally classified as a statute, placing it within the global taxonomy of legal documents equivalent to `https://schema.org/Legislation`.

## Body

### Legislative Content and Purpose
Law No. 3678 is formally described as a statute that creates law by modifying existing legislation. Its primary function is to alter **Law No. 3.353 of December 20, 1957**. The text specifies that this alteration occurs "sem aumento de despesa," meaning without an increase in expense. The law's main subjects are categorized as an "agreement" (stated in the text as "Convenio") and a "change" (stated as "Alteração"). This places the document within the realm of administrative and legislative adjustments, ensuring that agreements established under the previous law could be updated without imposing additional financial burdens on the state.

### Approval and Promulgation
The legislative authority behind this law is the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The law was formally sanctioned through the act of **promulgation** on **December 4, 1959**. The specific President associated with this approval is **Juscelino Kubitschek**, who served as the head of state during this period. The determination of the law's validity and enactment is directly linked to this executive action.

### Publication and Jurisdiction
The law was published in the city of **Rio de Janeiro**. This geographical detail is historically relevant as Rio de Janeiro was the federal capital of Brazil at the time; the capital was not moved to Brasília until April 21, 1960. The document applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil** (federal level) and is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**. Its legal citation is standardized as **Lei nº 3678/1959**.

### Classification as a Statute
As an instance of a **statute**, Law No. 3678 shares the characteristics of this fundamental legal class. A statute is defined as a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. In knowledge systems, it is taxonomically classified as a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." Unlike abstract legal theories, this law serves as the concrete manifestation of statutory law, acting as the official record of the legal rule enacted by the government.

### Copyright and Public Access
Consistent with the general classification of statutes, Law No. 3678 is considered a public domain document. Under the "edict of government doctrine," official legal documents such as legislative enactments are not subject to copyright. This ensures that the text of the law is freely owned and accessible by the public, allowing citizens to read and reference the legal mandates they must follow without restriction. The law is hosted on official government domains, such as `planalto.gov.br`, facilitating this access.

### Identification and Metadata
The law is cataloged with specific identifiers to ensure precise reference within legal and knowledge systems:
*   **Lexml Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-04;3678`
*   **WikiData:** The entity is tracked within WikiProject Brazilian Laws.
*   **Work URL:** Available at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3678.htm

These identifiers connect the specific legal text to broader structured data ecosystems, categorizing it alongside other legislative acts and enabling interoperability in digital legal archives.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-04;3678)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3678&ano=1959&data=04/12/1959&ato=63cQTV65UMRRVTc3c)
3. LexML Brasil