# Law No. 4394 of August 31, 1964

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105647969](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647969)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4394-of-august-31-1964

## Summary
Law No. 4394 of August 31, 1964, is a Brazilian federal statute enacted by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under President Castelo Branco. This formal written document establishes a special budgetary adjustment, specifically designated as a "Credito Especial," and is administered by the Ministry of Finance of Brazil. It serves as a concrete manifestation of statutory law within the Brazilian legal system, published in Brasília and applicable to the entire jurisdiction of Brazil.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 4394, de 31 de agosto de 1964.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4394/1964.
- **Publication Date:** August 31, 1964.
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil.
- **Jurisdiction:** Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Legal Classification:** Statute (a formal written document creating law).
- **Main Subject:** Special budgetary adjustment (Credito Especial).
- **Responsible Ministry:** Ministry of Finance of Brazil (Ministerio Da Fazenda).
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Approving Official:** President Castelo Branco (as of the promulgation date).
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1964-08-31;4394.
- **Official Online Source:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4394.htm.
- **Wikidata Description:** Brazilian law.
- **Instance Of:** Statute.

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 4394/1964?**
The law was enacted to authorize a special budgetary adjustment, legally referred to as a "Credito Especial." This mechanism allows the government to allocate funds for specific expenditures that were not included in the original budget or require immediate attention.

**Who was responsible for approving and promulgating this statute?**
The statute was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. At the time of its enactment on August 31, 1964, the specific head of state was President Castelo Branco.

**Which government body manages the execution of this law?**
The Ministry of Finance of Brazil (Ministerio Da Fazenda) is the designated entity responsible for the administration and execution of the provisions within this law.

**Where can the official text of this law be accessed?**
The full text is available online through the official Planalto government portal at the URL https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4394.htm. It is also indexed in the LexML Brazil system under the unique identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1964-08-31;4394.

**What language is the statute written in and where does it apply?**
The document is written in Brazilian Portuguese and applies to the entire jurisdiction of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 4394 of August 31, 1964, is a critical component of Brazil's fiscal and administrative history, representing the formal legal mechanism used to adjust the national budget during a specific period of the country's governance. As a statute, it transforms abstract legislative intent into a binding legal norm, ensuring that the "special budgetary adjustment" it authorizes is enforceable and transparent. Its existence highlights the operational capacity of the Brazilian state to manage financial resources through the Ministry of Finance, adhering to the constitutional requirement that all public spending be authorized by law. For legal scholars and historians, this law serves as a primary source document for understanding the fiscal policies and executive actions of the Brazilian government in 1964, a pivotal year in the nation's political timeline. Furthermore, its inclusion in the LexML Brazil database and the Planalto portal underscores the modern commitment to open government, ensuring that this historical legal instrument remains accessible to citizens, researchers, and legal professionals.

## Notable For
- **Specific Fiscal Instrument:** It is a distinct legal vehicle for creating a "Credito Especial" (special credit), a specific type of budgetary authorization.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the presidency of Castelo Branco, marking a specific moment in the early years of the 1964 political transition in Brazil.
- **Digital Preservation:** Fully indexed in the LexML Brazil system with a standardized URN (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1964-08-31;4394), ensuring long-term digital accessibility.
- **Executive Promulgation:** Represents a direct act of the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, linking the executive branch directly to budgetary adjustments.
- **Ministry Specificity:** Explicitly ties the legislative action to the Ministry of Finance, defining the administrative scope of the law.
- **Standardized Citation:** Recognized by the legal citation "Lei nº 4394/1964," facilitating its reference in legal proceedings and academic research.

## Body

### Definition and Legal Classification
Law No. 4394 of August 31, 1964, is classified as a **statute**, which is defined as a formal written document that creates law. In the Brazilian legal taxonomy, it functions as an instance of a "legal term or legal concept" and falls under the broader categories of "written work," "document," and "rule." As a statute, it is the physical manifestation of statutory law, distinct from general concepts of legislation or legal acts. It was created through the process of legislation and promulgation, serving as the official record of the legal rule enacted by the Brazilian government. The law is an "equivalent class" to the `https://schema.org/Legislation` standard used in structured web data, ensuring its interoperability in digital knowledge graphs.

### Enactment and Promulgation Details
The statute was officially approved and promulgated on **August 31, 1964**. The authority responsible for this action was the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The specific head of state who signed the promulgation was **Castelo Branco**, as indicated by the qualifiers associated with the approval date. The document was published in the capital city, **Brasília**, which serves as the official place of publication for federal laws. The language of the work is **Brazilian Portuguese**, reflecting the official linguistic standard of the nation. The legal citation used to reference this text in official and academic contexts is **Lei nº 4394/1964**.

### Subject Matter and Administrative Scope
The primary subject matter of Law No. 4394 is a **special budgetary adjustment**, explicitly stated in the text as **"Credito Especial"**. This indicates that the law was designed to address specific financial needs that required immediate legislative authorization outside of the standard annual budget cycle. The law designates the **Ministry of Finance of Brazil** (Ministerio Da Fazenda) as the entity responsible for the execution and management of these funds. This connection establishes a direct link between the legislative act and the executive branch's financial administration. The law applies to the entire **jurisdiction of Brazil**, ensuring that the budgetary adjustment is valid across all federal territories and states.

### Digital Identity and Metadata
In the realm of digital knowledge management, Law No. 4394 possesses unique identifiers that facilitate its retrieval and cross-referencing. The **LexML Brazil ID** is **urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1964-08-31;4394**, a standardized Uniform Resource Name used by the Brazilian legal data ecosystem. The law is described in **Wikidata** as a "Brazilian law" and is part of the **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its importance within the open-source knowledge community. The official text is hosted on the **Planalto** government website at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4394.htm`, providing a stable and authoritative source for the public. These digital footprints ensure that the statute remains accessible and verifiable in the modern information age.

### Historical and Political Context
The enactment of this law occurred in **1964**, a year of significant political transformation in Brazil. The approval by **Castelo Branco** places the statute within the early period of the military government that began in April 1964. The law reflects the administrative priorities of that specific administration, focusing on fiscal adjustments to support government operations. As a federal law, it supersedes state or municipal regulations regarding the specific budgetary credits it authorizes. The document stands as a historical record of the executive and legislative processes of the time, illustrating how the Brazilian state managed its finances during a period of political upheaval.

### Relationship to Broader Legal Concepts
Law No. 4394 is a specific example of the broader concept of a **statute**, which encompasses acts, executive orders, and by-laws. It is composed of **legal norms** and is a "part of" the broader concepts of "law" and "legal act." Its creation was preceded by "draft laws" and was caused by the act of "legislation." In the context of copyright, as an official legal document of the Brazilian government, it is likely in the **public domain**, similar to statutes in the United States and France, under the "edict of government doctrine." This ensures that the text is freely available for reproduction and analysis by the public, reinforcing the principles of open government. The law is cataloged in library systems and knowledge bases, contributing to the global understanding of Brazilian legal history and fiscal policy.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1964-08-31;4394)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4394&ano=1964&data=31/08/1964&ato=a48ATV65UNVRVT62f)