# Law No. 3721 of December 24, 1959

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648638](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648638)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3721-of-december-24-1959

## Summary
Law No. 3721 of December 24, 1959 is a Brazilian statute that addresses the federal budget, the Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal), and the Fiscal Year (Exercicio Financeiro). Promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek, this legislative act formalized financial changes and appropriations for the state. It was published in Rio de Janeiro and is documented as part of the official legal corpus of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3721, de 24 de dezembro de 1959
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3721/1959
- **Date of Enactment:** December 24, 1959
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Country:** Brazil (Federative Republic of Brazil)
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Approving President:** Juscelino Kubitschek (via promulgation)
- **Instance Of:** Statute (a formal written document that creates law)
- **Main Subjects:** Budget (Orçamento), Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal), Alteração (Change), Fiscal Year (Exercicio Financeiro)
- **Legal Status:** Manifestation of statutory law; public domain in jurisdictions like the United States and France under edict of government doctrine
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3721
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3721.htm
- **Wikimedia Project:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs

**Who approved Law No. 3721 of 1959?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically through promulgation by President Juscelino Kubitschek on December 24, 1959.

**What are the primary subjects covered by this law?**
The statute focuses on the federal budget (Orçamento), the Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal), the Fiscal Year (Exercicio Financeiro), and specific alterations (Alteração) to financial frameworks.

**Where can the official text of the law be found?**
The law is available at the official Brazilian government URL https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3721.htm and is indexed under the LexML Brazil ID urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3721.

**In what language was the law written and published?**
The law was written and published in Brazilian Portuguese, which is the official language of Brazil.

**Does this law apply to the entire country?**
Yes, the law applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil (Federative Republic of Brazil) as indicated by its scope and legal classification.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3721 matters as a definitive financial instrument from the final year of President Juscelino Kubitschek's administration, playing a critical role in the fiscal management of the Brazilian state. By addressing the federal budget and the fiscal year, the law provided the necessary legal authorization for government spending and financial alterations at a time when Brazil was undergoing significant political and infrastructural transitions. It serves as a historical snapshot of the federal government's economic priorities and administrative structure just prior to the inauguration of Brasília as the new capital in April 1960. As a statute, it represents the formal manifestation of statutory law, ensuring that financial operations of the "União Federal" were documented, enforceable, and accessible to the public, adhering to the legal standards of the Brazilian federal republic.

## Notable For
- **Presidential Promulgation:** Promulgated by Juscelino Kubitschek during his presidency (1956–1961), a period marked by developmentalism and the construction of Brasília.
- **Fiscal Focus:** Specifically targets the "Fiscal Year" (Exercicio Financeiro) and "Budget" (Orçamento), indicating its direct role in national economic planning.
- **Pre-Capital Transition:** Published in Rio de Janeiro in December 1959, only months before the capital was officially transferred to Brasília in April 1960.
- **LexML Standardization:** Distinctively indexed with a standardized LexML Brazil URN (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3721), facilitating modern legal data retrieval and interoperability.
- **Specific Financial Alteration:** Noted for including "Alteração" (Change) as a main subject, implying modifications to existing financial appropriations rather than just a new budget.

## Body

### Legislative Identity and Classification
Law No. 3721 is classified as a **statute**, a legal term defined as a formal written document that creates law. As a subclass of "written work" and "document," it functions as the official manifestation of statutory law. This statute is distinct from abstract legal theories, serving instead as the tangible, recorded enactment of the Brazilian government's legislative will. Like other statutes, it is generally considered in the public domain in jurisdictions such as the United States (under the edict of government doctrine) and France, ensuring that the law remains freely accessible to the public it governs.

### Executive Approval and Promulgation
The law was approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The specific determination method recorded for this approval is **promulgation**, a formal act that declares the law enacted. The promulgation occurred on **December 24, 1959**, under the authority of President **Juscelino Kubitschek**. This places the law at the end of Kubitschek's term (1956–1961), a presidency defined by extensive infrastructure projects, including the construction of the new capital, Brasília. The involvement of the Presidency underscores the executive branch's role in finalizing the legislative process for federal financial matters.

### Subject Matter: Budget and Fiscal Year
The primary content of Law No. 3721 revolves around financial administration. Its main subjects include the **budget** (referred to in Portuguese as *Orçamento*), the **Federal Government of Brazil** (*União Federal*), the **Fiscal Year** (*Exercicio Financeiro*), and **alterations** (*Alteração*). The focus on the "Fiscal Year" and "Budget" indicates that the law was essential for authorizing government expenditures and defining financial parameters for the state. The inclusion of "Alteração" suggests that the statute also served to modify existing financial arrangements or previous budgetary allocations, responding to the dynamic needs of the federal administration during that period.

### Publication and Jurisdiction
The law was physically published in **Rio de Janeiro**, which was the federal capital of Brazil at the time of the law's enactment in 1959. This was prior to the administrative transition to Brasília, which occurred on April 21, 1960. The statute applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**, specifically the Federative Republic of Brazil. It is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of the country, which is spoken by the vast majority of the population and used in all official government capacities. The legal citation for this document is **Lei nº 3721/1959**.

### Technical Identifiers and Availability
To ensure precise identification and retrieval in modern legal databases, Law No. 3721 is assigned several technical identifiers. It possesses a **LexML Brazil ID** of `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3721`, a standardized URI for legal information in Brazil. The official text is available at the URL `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3721.htm`, hosted by the Presidency of the Republic's official website. It is also cataloged within **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, reflecting its importance in the comprehensive mapping of Brazilian legislation.

### Context: The Brazilian Legal and Political Environment
This statute exists within the framework of the **Federative Republic of Brazil**, a federal presidential republic and representative democracy. Brazil operates as a federal republic composed of 26 states and one Federal District, with a legal system derived from civil law traditions where statutes serve as primary sources of law. The country functions as a major global economy and a founding member of the United Nations, with a complex governmental structure that includes the National Congress (Federal Senate and Chamber of Deputies) responsible for drafting laws and the Presidency responsible for their promulgation.

The enactment of Law No. 3721 occurred during a specific historical window: the late 1950s. At this time, Brazil was under the leadership of Juscelino Kubitschek, whose administration was noted for "五十 anos em cinco" (fifty years of progress in five). The law's publication in Rio de Janeiro marks it as one of the last significant federal laws enacted before the capital shift to Brasília. As a legal document, it adheres to the constitutional requirements of the time, operating under the premise that statutes are "legal norms" that form the "body" of the law, governing the fiscal operations of the state.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3721)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3721&ano=1959&data=24/12/1959&ato=ff9ATUE9UMRRVTe75)