# Law No. 3976 of November 6, 1961

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105647967](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647967)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3976-of-november-6-1961

## Summary
Law No. 3976 of November 6, 1961 is a Brazilian federal statute (Lei nº 3976/1961) enacted during the Presidency of João Goulart. Its official publication occurred in Brasília, and it is formally cited as "Lei nº 3976/1961." The law's structured metadata indicates its main subjects pertain to "good use" (Aproveitamento), the Ministry of Education (MEC), "decision" (Fixação), "educational institution" (Estabelecimento De Ensino), "legal norm" (Normas), and "payment" (Pagamento), suggesting it regulates the allocation or use of funds or resources within the Brazilian educational system.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3976, de 6 de novembro de 1961
- **Common Citation:** Lei nº 3976/1961
- **Type:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (federal law)
- **Date of Approval/Promulgation:** November 6, 1961
- **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, under President João Goulart
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Primary Subjects:** Good use (Aproveitamento), Ministry of Education (MEC), decision (Fixação), educational institution (Estabelecimento De Ensino), legal norm (Normas), payment (Pagamento)
- **Official Identifier:** LexML Brazil ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-11-06;3976`
- **Accessible At:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3976.htm
- **Instance Of:** Statute (class: formal written document creating law)
- **Project Focus:** On the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws on Wikimedia projects

## FAQs
**What is the official name and citation of this law?**
The law's official title is "Lei nº 3976, de 6 de novembro de 1961." For formal citation and reference, it is commonly shortened to "Lei nº 3976/1961."

**When and by whom was Law No. 3976/1961 enacted?**
It was approved and promulgated on November 6, 1961, by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically during the government of President João Goulart.

**What is the primary subject matter of Law No. 3976/1961?**
Based on its structured metadata, the law primarily concerns the "good use" (Aproveitamento) and "payment" (Pagamento) related to "educational institutions" (Estabelecimento De Ensino), governed by "legal norms" (Normas) and administered through "decisions" (Fixação) by the Ministry of Education (MEC).

**Where can the full text of this Brazilian law be found?**
The official, authoritative text of Law No. 3976/1961 is available online at the Brazilian federal government's legislative portal: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3976.htm.

**How is this law classified in legal and knowledge systems?**
It is classified as an **instance of a statute**, which is a formal written document that creates law. In structured data, it is equivalent to the schema.org class `Legislation` and is part of the broader concepts of statutory law and legal norms.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3976/1961 is a specific piece of federal legislation from a pivotal period in Brazilian history (the final year of João Goulart's presidency before the 1964 military coup). Its significance lies in its role as a **binding legal norm** that operationalized policies for the "good use" and "payment" within the **educational institution** framework, administered by the **Ministry of Education**. As a **statute**, it represents the formal, written exercise of legislative authority by the Brazilian federal government in 1961. Understanding this law provides a concrete example of mid-20th century Brazilian federal education policy and administrative law. Its existence as a **public domain** document (as all Brazilian federal laws are) ensures permanent, free public access to this historical legal text, which is crucial for legal research, historical analysis, and understanding the evolution of Brazil's educational system. It is a tangible data point in the timeline of Brazilian statutory law.

## Notable For
*   **Historical Timestamp:** It is a federal statute from the brief, tumultuous presidency of João Goulart (1961-1964), capturing a specific legal and policy moment before the military regime.
*   **Educational Policy Artifact:** Its structured subjects directly tie it to the administration of the Brazilian **Ministry of Education (MEC)**, making it a primary source for research on federal educational funding, resource allocation ("good use"), and institutional payments from that era.
*   **WikiProject Recognition:** It is explicitly listed on the focus list of **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its recognized importance for documentation and improvement within the Wikimedia ecosystem related to Brazilian legislation.
*   **Canonical Source:** It has a stable, permanent URL on the official Brazilian federal legislation portal (`planalto.gov.br`), serving as a citable, authoritative source.
*   **Structured Data Example:** It serves as a clear, real-world instance of a **statute** with rich, linked open data properties (LexML ID, jurisdiction, language, subjects, promulgation details) that can be used to train or validate knowledge graphs about legal systems.

## Body

### Legislative and Administrative Details
Law No. 3976/1961 is a **federal statute** of Brazil, formally a "Lei" (Law). It was **approved_by** the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The specific head of state at the time of its **promulgation** (point_in_time: 1961-11-06) was **President João Goulart**. The law was **published** in the nation's capital, **Brasília**. Its official **legal_citation_of_this_text** is "Lei nº 3976/1961." The law is **written in Brazilian Portuguese** and **applies_to_jurisdiction** of the entire country of Brazil. Its **instance_of** classification is **statute**, confirming it as a formal written document that creates law.

### Subject Matter and Scope
The law's core regulatory focus is defined by its **main_subject** properties, each with a stated Portuguese term:
*   **"Aproveitamento" (Good Use):** This suggests the law governs the proper or designated utilization of something, likely funds, assets, or educational resources.
*   **"Ministerio Da Educação (Mec)" (Ministry of Education):** It explicitly involves or is administered by the Brazilian **Ministry of Education**, placing it within the federal executive branch's educational policy domain.
*   **"Fixação" (Decision/Fixing):** This implies the law establishes, sets, or fixes certain parameters, values, or rules, possibly regarding funding levels or institutional requirements.
*   **"Estabelecimento De Ensino" (Educational Institution):** The law's provisions directly target or affect schools, universities, or other formal educational entities.
*   **"Normas" (Legal Norms):** It constitutes or establishes specific **legal norms**, the binding rules that form its operative content.
*   **"Pagamento" (Payment):** A key mechanism within the law is the regulation of **payment**, almost certainly referring to financial transfers, grants, or compensation related to the educational sector.

Collectively, these subjects indicate Law No. 3976/1961 is a **legal norm** concerning the **decision** on the **payment** for the **good use** of resources by **educational institutions**, as mandated and overseen by the **Ministry of Education**.

### Access, Identification, and Project Context
The law has a persistent, canonical digital identifier in the Brazilian **LexML** system: `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-11-06;3976`. Its full text is **work_available_at_url** on the official government site (`planalto.gov.br`). Within the collaborative knowledge ecosystem of Wikimedia, this specific law is recognized as significant enough to be placed on the **on_focus_list_of_wikimedia_project** for **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**. This denotes a targeted effort by editors to ensure its article (if one exists) meets quality standards and that its data is accurately integrated into Wikidata and other projects.

### Relationship to Broader Concepts
As a **statute**, this law is a concrete instance of the general legal concept defined in the source material. It is a **formal written document that creates law**. It is a **manifestation of statutory law** and is **composed of** one or more **legal norms**. Its creation was **caused by** the **legislative** process (in this case, the federal legislature passing a bill that the President then promulgated). It **follows** the stage of **draft laws**. In structured data frameworks like schema.org, this specific law would be an **equivalent class** to `https://schema.org/Legislation`. Its status as an official government enactment means it is in the **public domain** under doctrines like the "edict of government doctrine," ensuring unrestricted public access and reuse.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-11-06;3976)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3976&ano=1961&data=06/11/1961&ato=f5fITRU5keVRVTa38)