# Law No. 4026 of December 20, 1961

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648112](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648112)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4026-of-december-20-1961

## Summary
**Law No. 4026 of December 20, 1961** (Portuguese: *Lei nº 4026, de 20 de dezembro de 1961*) is a Brazilian federal statute enacted to grant a special budgetary subsidy to private higher education institutions. It was promulgated during the presidency of João Goulart and is officially classified as a legal document concerning special budgetary adjustments for the Ministry of Education. The law applies to all of Brazil and is accessible via official government portals.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 4026, de 20 de dezembro de 1961
- **Entity Type:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Enactment Date:** December 20, 1961
- **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Promulgating Official:** João Goulart
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4026/1961
- **Subject Matter:** Special budgetary adjustment (Credito Especial), Ministry of Education, Higher education, Educational institutions
- **Purpose:** To grant a subsidy (subvenção) to "equated" (equiparadas) universities maintained by private institutions.
- **Publication Place:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Official Identifier (LexML):** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-12-20;4026
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4026.htm
- **WikiProject:** On the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What was the purpose of Law No. 4026 of 1961?**
This law was enacted to provide a special budgetary subsidy to private universities in Brazil that were considered "equated" (equiparadas) to public institutions, ensuring they received financial support from the federal government.

**Who approved Law No. 4026?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and was promulgated by President João Goulart on December 20, 1961.

**To which jurisdiction does this law apply?**
Law No. 4026 applies to the entire Federative Republic of Brazil and is classified under Brazilian federal law.

**Where can the full text of Law No. 4026 be accessed?**
The official text is available on the Brazilian government's Planalto website at the URL provided by the Presidency's legislative portal.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 4026 of 1961 is significant as it represents an early example of the Brazilian federal government's direct financial intervention in the private higher education sector. By granting a "subvenção" (subsidy) to private institutions that were "equiparadas" (equated) to public universities, the law acknowledged the role of non-state actors in providing higher education and aimed to support their financial stability. This action was part of a broader set of educational policies managed by the Ministry of Education, targeting the strengthening of "Curso Superior" (higher education) across the country. The law functions as a manifestation of statutory law, creating a legal norm for budgetary allocation within a specific timeframe and context.

## Notable For
- **Specific Budgetary Allocation:** The law's digest explicitly states its purpose is to concede a subsidy to specific types of private universities, making it a targeted financial instrument.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted on December 20, 1961, it falls within a significant period of Brazilian political history under President João Goulart.
- **Legal Classification:** It serves as a clear example of a "statute" (formal written law) as defined in legal ontologies, complete with identifiers in systems like LexML and Wikidata.
- **Educational Policy:** The law directly addresses the Ministry of Education's purview, focusing on the sustainability of higher education institutions.

## Body

### Legislative Identification and Classification
Law No. 4026 is formally classified as a **statute**, defined as a formal written document that creates law. It is an instance of statutory law and functions as a legal norm. The law is identified by the unique LexML Brazil ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-12-20;4026`. Its legal citation is standardly formatted as **Lei nº 4026/1961**.

### Historical and Political Context
The statute was promulgated on **December 20, 1961**, a pivotal year in Brazilian history. It was approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with **João Goulart** serving as the promulgating authority. This period followed the resignation of President Jânio Quadros, with Goulart assuming the presidency after a political crisis, marking a time of significant legislative activity. The place of publication is listed as **Brasília**, which had been established as the capital just the year prior.

### Core Provisions and Subject Matter
The primary function of Law No. 4026 was to authorize a **special budgetary adjustment** (Credito Especial) to provide a financial subsidy. The explicit target of this subsidy, as recorded in the law's digest, was "universities equated, maintained by institutions of a private character." This indicates a policy aimed at supporting private higher education institutions that had achieved a status comparable to public federal universities.

The main subjects of the legislation, as categorized in its structured data, are:
-   **Special Budgetary Adjustment (Credito Especial):** The mechanism for allocating funds.
-   **Ministry of Education (MEC):** The federal body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the subsidy.
-   **Higher Education (Curso Superior):** The educational level being supported.
-   **Educational Institution (Estabelecimento De Ensino):** The specific entities receiving the benefit.

### Jurisdiction and Accessibility
The law's jurisdiction is **Brazil**, applying federally throughout the country. The text is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**. It remains accessible to the public via the official website of the Brazilian Presidency (Planalto), hosted at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4026.htm`. This accessibility aligns with the general principle that statutes are public domain documents, ensuring citizens have access to the legal rules that govern them. The entity is also tracked within the **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its relevance to legal and historical documentation efforts.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-12-20;4026)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4026&ano=1961&data=20/12/1961&ato=e8cEzYU5keVRVTfbd)
3. LexML Brasil