# Law No. 3699 of December 23, 1959

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648821](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648821)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3699-of-december-23-1959

## Summary
Law No. 3699 of December 23, 1959 is a Brazilian federal statute that authorizes the transfer of budgetary funds within the current fiscal year for the Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal). Promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek, it serves as a formal legal instrument for budgetary reallocation. The law is classified as a statute and applies nationally across Brazil.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3699, de 23 de dezembro de 1959
- **Alternative Name:** Lei nº 3699/1959
- **Promulgation Date:** December 23, 1959
- **Publication Place:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (Federative Republic of Brazil)
- **Entity Type:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Digest/Subject:** "DETERMINA A TRANSFERENCIA DE VERBAS NO ORÇAMENTO VIGENTE" (Determines the transfer of funds in the current budget)
- **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Promulgated By:** President Juscelino Kubitschek
- **Main Subjects:** Budget (Orçamento), Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal), Fiscal Year (Exercicio Financeiro), Transfer (Transferencia)
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Official Identifier (LexML):** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-23;3699
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3699.htm
- **Wikidata Project:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What does Law No. 3699/1959 regulate?**
This statute regulates the transfer of budgetary funds (verbas) within the current fiscal year for the Federal Government of Brazil. It specifically addresses budget management for the União Federal.

**Who approved and promulgated this law?**
The law was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically under President Juscelino Kubitschek, on December 23, 1959.

**What is the legal citation and identifier for this law?**
The law is legally cited as "Lei nº 3699/1959" and carries the LexML Brazil identifier "urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-23;3699." It is available officially at the Planalto.gov.br website.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3699 of December 23, 1959 represents a specific exercise of Brazilian federal legislative authority during the government of Juscelino Kubitschek, a period marked by significant developmental policies and infrastructure projects. While seemingly administrative in nature—dealing with budget transfers—such laws are fundamental to the operational flexibility of government finances. They allow for the reallocation of resources to meet changing priorities or urgent needs within a fiscal year without requiring entirely new budget legislation. This statute exemplifies the routine but essential legal mechanisms through which the Brazilian federal government manages its financial operations, ensuring that public funds can be directed efficiently according to executive needs while maintaining legal authorization from the legislative branch.

## Notable For
- **Specific Budget Authority:** Directly authorizes the transfer of budget funds within the current fiscal year, a specific administrative legal function.
- **Kubitschek Era Legislation:** Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek (1956-1961), a significant period in Brazilian economic and political history.
- **Capital Transition Period:** Published in Rio de Janeiro in late 1959, shortly before the federal capital moved to Brasília in April 1960.
- **Formal Legal Classification:** A clear instance of a "statute" as defined in legal and knowledge systems—a formal written document enacted to create law.
- **Digital Preservation:** Digitally preserved and accessible through Brazil's official legal portals (Planalto and LexML), demonstrating modern archival of historical legislation.

## Body

### Legislative Context and Promulgation
Law No. 3699 was officially promulgated on December 23, 1959, through the authority of the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The act of promulgation was performed by or under the authority of President Juscelino Kubitschek, who served as the 21st President of Brazil from January 31, 1956, to January 31, 1961. This places the law squarely within the Kubitschek administration, a period renowned for its "fifty years of progress in five" platform and major national development initiatives.

The law was published in Rio de Janeiro, which was then the federal capital of Brazil. This is a notable historical detail, as the capital was in the process of transitioning to Brasília during this time (the official move occurred on April 21-22, 1960). The publication of this law in Rio de Janeiro in late 1959 represents one of the final major legal acts conducted from the old capital before the relocation.

### Subject Matter and Legal Function
The digest of the law, as recorded in official summaries, states: "DETERMINA A TRANSFERENCIA DE VERBAS NO ORÇAMENTO VIGENTE." This translates to "Determines the transfer of funds in the current budget." The statute is a budgetary measure that legally authorizes the movement or reallocation of government funds within an existing approved budget.

The law's main subjects, as formally categorized, include:
- **Budget (Orçamento):** The financial plan containing government revenue and expenditure.
- **Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal):** The national government entity to which the budget applies.
- **Fiscal Year (Exercicio Financeiro):** The specific annual accounting period for which the budget and these transfers are valid.
- **Transfer (Transferencia):** The specific action being authorized—the movement of allocated funds.

Legally, this function is typical of administrative law, where executive branches require statutory authority to alter budgetary allocations that have been previously approved by the legislature. Such laws provide flexibility in public financial management, allowing the government to respond to unforeseen circumstances or shifting priorities without disrupting the entirety of the fiscal framework.

### Classification and Legal Status
Law No. 3699 is formally classified as a "statute." In legal terminology, a statute is a formal written document that creates or modifies law. In the Brazilian legal system, federal laws (Leis) enacted by the National Congress and sanctioned by the President are the primary form of statute. This law fits within the broader category of "legal term or legal concept" and is a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." It is a manifestation of statutory law and contains legal norms.

As a statute, this law is considered an "edict of government," and under doctrines such as those applied in the United States and France, such official legal documents are generally in the public domain. This means the text of the law itself is not subject to copyright restrictions, ensuring public access to the legal rules that govern society.

### Jurisdiction and Application
The law applies to the entire Federative Republic of Brazil (Brazil), the largest country in South America. As a federal law (federal:lei), it has nationwide application, superseding any conflicting state or municipal regulations within its domain. The law is written in Brazilian Portuguese, the official language of Brazil, and its authority derives from the federal government's power to manage national budgetary resources.

### Official Identifiers and Access
The law is tracked and accessed through several official identifiers and systems:
- **LexML Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-23;3699` - This is a unique Uniform Resource Name within Brazil's LexML standard for identifying legal documents.
- **Legal Citation:** "Lei nº 3699/1959" - The standard shorthand for referencing this law in legal documents and citations.
- **Official URL:** The full text of the law is available digitally at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3699.htm` on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil (Planalto).
- **WikiProject:** The law is documented within WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating it is part of a structured effort to catalog and organize Brazilian legislation in knowledge systems.

### Historical and Political Setting
The law was enacted in 1959, a pivotal year in Brazil. The country was under a democratic, presidential system of government as defined by the 1946 Constitution. President Juscelino Kubitschek was nearing the end of his term, and the construction of Brasília was in its final stages. The economy was growing rapidly, but inflation was also a concern. Budgetary laws like No. 3699 were essential tools for managing the financial complexities of a large-scale developmental state undergoing massive infrastructure investments and preparing for a capital city transfer.

Brazil at this time had a population of approximately 70 million people (having grown from ~72.8 million in 1960), and the federal government was the central authority in a federal republic comprising 22 states (as of 1960) and territories. The enactment of budgetary transfer laws was part of the routine, yet critical, financial administration that kept federal operations running smoothly during this dynamic period.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-23;3699)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3699&ano=1959&data=23/12/1959&ato=825Uza65UMRRVTc3b)
3. LexML Brasil