# Law No. 4996 of May 21, 1966

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105647612](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647612)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4996-of-may-21-1966

**What is the purpose of Law No. 4996?**
The law's main subject is a "special budgetary adjustment" (Credito Especial). It specifically allocates these funds for the benefit of the State of Bahia (Estado Da Bahia) under the administration of the Ministry of Transport of Brazil (Ministério da Viação e Obras Públicas).

**Who enacted Law No. 4996?**
The statute was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. At the time of its enactment on May 21, 1966, the presidency was held by Castelo Branco.

**Where can the official text of the law be found?**
The official text of Law No. 4996 is available on the Brazilian government's legal portals. It can be accessed via the Planalto Palace website at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4996.htm` and is indexed in the LexML Brazil database with the ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1966-05-21;4996`.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 4996 of May 21, 1966 matters as a specific instance of federal financial legislation in Brazil during the mid-20th century. Enacted under the military government of President Castelo Branco, it represents the mechanism by which the central government authorized and allocated extraordinary funds—termed a "special budgetary adjustment"—for regional development. By directing resources specifically to the State of Bahia through the Ministry of Transport (Ministério da Viação e Obras Públicas), the law serves as a primary source document for understanding federal-state fiscal relations, infrastructure investment strategies, and the administrative priorities of Brazil during the 1960s. Its existence as a formally promulgated statute ensures the legality and traceability of public expenditure in the country's legal history.

## Notable For
- **Specific Regional Allocation:** The law is notable for its explicit focus on a single state, designating the State of Bahia ("Estado Da Bahia") as the direct subject and beneficiary of its provisions.
- **Administrative Jurisdiction:** It highlights the role of the Ministry of Transport of Brazil (Ministério da Viação e Obras Públicas) in overseeing the budgetary adjustment, suggesting an infrastructure or public works context.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted on May 21, 1966, it is a legal artifact from the presidency of Castelo Branco, reflecting the executive legislative activity during the early years of the Brazilian military dictatorship.
- **Formal Classification:** As an instance of a "statute," it exemplifies the formal written legal instruments used by the Brazilian federal government to create binding law.

## Body

### Legislative Identity and Formal Classification
Law No. 4996, officially titled "Lei nº 4996, de 21 de maio de 1966," is a formal written document that creates law. In legal and knowledge organization taxonomies, it is classified as an "instance of" a **statute**, a subclass of written work, document, and rule. As a statute, it serves as a manifestation of statutory law, comprising legal norms enacted through the legislative process. The law is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of Brazil.

### Enactment and Executive Authority
The statute was officially approved and promulgated by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The action was taken by **Castelo Branco**, who served as the head of state. The formal determination method used was "promulgation," which is the act of formally proclaiming a new statute after its passage, giving it the force of law. The enactment date is recorded as **May 21, 1966**.

The law applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil** (officially the Federative Republic of Brazil), the largest country in South America. At the time of this law's passage, Brazil's capital was **Brasília**, which served as the place of publication for the statute. This reflects the political reality established in 1960 when the capital was moved from Rio de Janeiro to the newly built city of Brasília.

### Subject Matter and Budgetary Focus
The core function of Law No. 4996 is to authorize a **special budgetary adjustment**. In Brazilian legal terminology, this is referred to as a "Credito Especial," which represents a specific allocation of funds outside the standard annual budget law, often for unforeseen or specific needs.

The law designates two key entities as its main subjects:
1.  **Special Budgetary Adjustment (Credito Especial):** The primary financial mechanism being authorized.
2.  **Bahia (Estado Da Bahia - BA):** The specific federative unit (state) located in the northeastern region of Brazil that is the focus and beneficiary of this special credit.

### Administrative Oversight
The law operates within the administrative framework of the **Ministry of Transport of Brazil**. At the time of enactment, this ministry was named the "Ministério da Viação e Obras Públicas" (Ministry of Transport and Public Works). This connection indicates that the special budgetary adjustment was intended for projects or expenditures falling under the purview of transport and public infrastructure, likely within the State of Bahia.

### Official Publication and Digital Access
The official legal citation for this document is **Lei nº 4996/1966**. To facilitate modern access and legal research, the statute is indexed in the **LexML Brazil** system with the unique identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1966-05-21;4996`. LexML is a standard for identifying legal documents in Brazil.

The full text of the law is available for public access online. The authoritative source URL is provided by the official website of the **Planalto Palace** (the seat of the executive branch), accessible at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4996.htm`. This digital availability ensures that the law, as a public domain government edict, remains accessible to citizens, legal professionals, and researchers.

### Context of the Jurisdiction
The law was enacted in Brazil, a nation with a complex legal history. The country, which declared independence from Portugal on September 7, 1822, operates as a federal republic. In 1966, Brazil was under a military regime, having experienced a coup d'état in 1964. President Castelo Branco, who approved this law, was the first military president of this period. The law, therefore, exists within the historical context of a centralized federal government directing specific economic and infrastructural interventions in the states.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1966-05-21;4996)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4996&ano=1966&data=21/05/1966&ato=118MTSE9EMZRVTf41)