# Law No. 4229 of June 1, 1963

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105647812](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647812)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4229-of-june-1-1963

## Summary
Law No. 4229 of June 1, 1963, is a Brazilian federal statute that officially transformed the National Department of Works Against Droughts (DNOCS) into an autarchy. Enacted during the presidency of João Goulart, this legislation reorganized the department's administrative structure, defined its competencies, and established its headquarters and budgetary provisions under the Ministry of Transport.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 4229, de 1 de junho de 1963.
- **Publication Date:** June 1, 1963.
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil.
- **Jurisdiction:** Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Legal Classification:** Statute (Federal Law).
- **Primary Action:** Transformation of the National Department of Works Against Droughts (DNOCS) into an autarchy.
- **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Promulgating Authority:** João Goulart (President of Brazil at the time).
- **Main Subject Areas:** Employee relations (Pessoal), Competency (Competencia), Special budgetary adjustment (Credito Especial), Heritage (Patrimonio), Autarky status (Autarquia), Headquarters (Sede), Administrative Organization (Organização Administrativa), Connection (Vinculação), Content/Composition (Composição), Creation (Criação), Ministry of Transport (Ministerio Da Viação E Obras Publicas), Transformation (Transformação), and Revenue (Receita).
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4229/1963.
- **LexML Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1963-06-01;4229.
- **Official Online Source:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l4229.htm.
- **Supervising Ministry:** Ministry of Transport of Brazil (Ministerio Da Viação E Obras Publicas).

## FAQs
**What was the primary purpose of Law No. 4229/1963?**
The law's central objective was to restructure the National Department of Works Against Droughts (DNOCS) by converting it from its previous status into an autarchy. This change granted the department a specific administrative and financial autonomy while maintaining its connection to the Ministry of Transport.

**Who signed this law into effect and when?**
The statute was approved and promulgated on June 1, 1963, by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under the leadership of President João Goulart. It was subsequently published in the official capital, Brasília, on the same date.

**Which government ministry oversees the entity affected by this law?**
Following the transformation mandated by the law, the reorganized DNOCS became linked to the Ministry of Transport of Brazil, known at the time as the "Ministerio Da Viação E Obras Publicas."

**What specific administrative aspects does the law regulate?**
Beyond the structural change to an autarchy, the legislation details provisions regarding personnel management, specific competencies, special budgetary credits, the department's heritage assets, and its revenue streams. It also defines the legal composition and creation of the new administrative organization.

**Where can the full text of this law be accessed?**
The official text is available in Brazilian Portuguese through the Brazilian government's Planalto portal at the URL https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l4229.htm. It is also indexed in the LexML Brazil system under the unique identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1963-06-01;4229.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 4229 represents a critical moment in the administrative history of Brazil's drought mitigation efforts. By elevating the National Department of Works Against Droughts (DNOCS) to the status of an autarchy, the law provided the agency with greater operational independence and specialized legal standing to manage complex infrastructure projects in arid regions. This structural shift allowed for more efficient handling of special budgetary adjustments and revenue management, which are essential for long-term public works in the semi-arid Northeast. The legislation formalized the department's relationship with the Ministry of Transport, ensuring that water infrastructure and drought relief remained a priority within the federal transport and public works framework. For legal scholars and historians, it serves as a definitive example of mid-20th-century Brazilian administrative reform, illustrating how the state reorganized its agencies to better address environmental challenges.

## Notable For
- **Administrative Transformation:** It is the specific legal instrument that converted the DNOCS into an autarchy, a distinct legal entity within the Brazilian public administration.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the presidency of João Goulart, a period marked by significant political and social turbulence in Brazil.
- **Comprehensive Scope:** The law addresses a wide array of administrative elements in a single statute, ranging from personnel and heritage to budgetary credits and organizational composition.
- **Digital Preservation:** It is fully digitized and accessible via the LexML Brazil project, ensuring long-term public access to this foundational legal text.
- **Ministry Alignment:** It explicitly ties the drought-fighting agency to the Ministry of Transport (Ministerio Da Viação E Obras Publicas), reflecting the infrastructure-focused nature of the department's work.

## Body

### Legislative Identity and Classification
Law No. 4229 is a federal statute enacted by the National Congress of Brazil and promulgated by the Executive Branch. It falls under the classification of a "statute," defined as a formal written document that creates law. The document is written in Brazilian Portuguese and applies exclusively to the jurisdiction of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Its official citation is "Lei nº 4229/1963," and it is uniquely identified in the LexML Brazil system as `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1963-06-01;4229`. The law was published in Brasília on June 1, 1963, serving as the official record of the legal changes enacted on that day.

### Core Administrative Transformation
The primary function of this legislation was the structural reorganization of the National Department of Works Against Droughts (DNOCS). Prior to this law, the department operated under a different administrative framework; Law No. 4229 explicitly transformed it into an "autarquia" (autarchy). This change granted the department a specific legal personality, allowing it to manage its own assets and personnel with a degree of autonomy while remaining under the oversight of the federal government. The law details the "creation" of this new administrative entity and defines its "content" or composition, ensuring a clear legal basis for its operations.

### Scope of Provisions and Subjects
The statute covers a comprehensive range of administrative subjects necessary for the functioning of the new autarchy. These include:
- **Personnel (Pessoal):** Regulations regarding the employees of the department.
- **Competency (Competencia):** The specific powers and duties assigned to the autarchy.
- **Special Budgetary Adjustment (Credito Especial):** Provisions for specific financial allocations required for the department's activities.
- **Heritage (Patrimonio):** The management and protection of the department's assets and property.
- **Headquarters (Sede):** The designation of the physical location or administrative seat of the organization.
- **Administrative Organization (Organização Administrativa):** The internal structure and hierarchy of the entity.
- **Connection (Vinculação):** The legal link between the autarchy and the supervising ministry.
- **Revenue (Receita):** Rules governing the income and financial resources of the department.
- **Transformation (Transformação):** The legal process of changing the entity's status.

### Supervisory Framework and Ministry Linkage
A key component of the law is the establishment of the department's relationship with the federal executive branch. The legislation explicitly states that the transformed DNOCS is linked to the "Ministerio Da Viação E Obras Publicas" (Ministry of Transport and Public Works). This connection ensures that the department's activities in drought relief and water infrastructure are coordinated with broader national transportation and public works strategies. The law serves as the legal basis for this "vinculação" (connection), defining the scope of the ministry's oversight and the department's reporting obligations.

### Historical and Digital Context
The law was enacted during a pivotal era in Brazilian history, specifically on June 1, 1963, under the administration of President João Goulart. This period was characterized by intense political debate and social reform efforts. The statute remains a vital part of the Brazilian legal corpus, preserved in digital archives such as the Planalto government portal and the LexML Brazil project. Its availability online ensures that legal professionals, historians, and the public can access the original text to understand the evolution of Brazil's drought management policies. The law stands as a testament to the state's ongoing commitment to addressing the environmental challenges of the semi-arid regions through structured administrative reform.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1963-06-01;4229)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4229&ano=1963&data=01/06/1963&ato=b27QTTq50MVRVT6ce)
3. LexML Brasil