# Law No. 6173 of December 9, 1974

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105660022](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105660022)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-6173-of-december-9-1974

## Summary
Law No. 6173 of December 9, 1974 (Portuguese: Lei nº 6173, de 9 de dezembro de 1974) is a Brazilian federal statute that authorizes the Executive Branch to open a special credit of CR 3,000,000.00 to the Ministry of Communications. Signed into law by President Ernesto Geisel, it is a legal instrument classified as a statute, focusing on budgetary adjustments including salary readjustments.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 6173, de 9 de dezembro de 1974.
- **Type of Instrument:** Statute (formal written document that creates law).
- **Date of Promulgation:** December 9, 1974.
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Promulgated By:** Ernesto Geisel (President of Brazil).
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil.
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 6173/1974.
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1974-12-09;6173.
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília.
- **Main Subject:** Special budgetary adjustment (Credito Especial).
- **Digest:** Authorizes the Executive Branch to open a special credit of CR 3,000,000.00 to the Ministry of Communications for specified purposes.
- **Specific Purposes:** Atendimento, Destinação (End), Reajustamento (Readjustment/Administration), Salario (Salary).
- **Target Entity:** Ministry of Communications.
- **Available At:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1970-1979/l6173.htm.

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 6173/1974?**
The law's primary function is to authorize the Executive Branch to create a special credit allocation of 3,000,000.00 Cruzeiros (CR) specifically for the Ministry of Communications.

**Who signed Law No. 6173 into effect?**
The statute was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, with Ernesto Geisel serving as the President at the time on December 9, 1974.

**What specific budgetary areas does this law address?**
The law addresses special budgetary adjustments focused on "Atendimento" (service/care), "Destinação" (destination/end use), "Reajustamento" (administrative readjustment), and "Salario" (salary).

## Why It Matters
Law No. 6173 of December 9, 1974 serves as a specific example of Brazilian statutory law in action during the military dictatorship era. As a statute, it represents the formal, written mechanism through which the Brazilian government allocates resources and adjusts budgets for its ministries—in this case, the Ministry of Communications. The law is significant for researchers and legal professionals as it demonstrates the procedural aspects of special credit authorization (Credito Especial) within the Brazilian legal framework. It provides insight into the fiscal management and administrative priorities of the Brazilian government in late 1974, particularly regarding salary adjustments and operational funding for communications infrastructure. As a public domain document, it remains accessible for legal citation and historical analysis.

## Notable For
- **Specific Budgetary Authorization:** Notable for its precise allocation of CR 3,000,000.00 to a single ministry.
- **Presidential Provenance:** Signed by Ernesto Geisel, the 29th President of Brazil, during the military government period.
- **Legal Classification:** Explicitly classified as a "statute," the foundational legal document type for creating law in Brazil.
- **LexML Identification:** Possesses a unique LexML Brazil identifier (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1974-12-09;6173), integrating it into Brazil's official legal metadata system.
- **WikiProject Inclusion:** Listed on the WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its relevance for collaborative legal knowledge curation.

## Body

### Legal Definition and Classification
Law No. 6173 of December 9, 1974 is formally classified as a **statute**. A statute, by definition, is a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. This law serves as a manifestation of statutory law in Brazil, which operates as a federal republic under the 1988 Constitution (though this specific law predates that constitution). The law is composed of legal norms and functions as an official record of a legal rule enacted by the Brazilian government.

### Historical and Political Context
The statute was promulgated on **December 9, 1974**, in **Brasília**, the federal capital of Brazil. At this time, Brazil was under a military dictatorship, and the law was approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The sitting president who signed this law into effect was **Ernesto Geisel**, who served as the 29th president from March 15, 1974, to March 15, 1979. This period was marked by a gradual political opening process known as *distensão*, though the government still maintained strong executive control over budgetary and administrative matters.

### Purpose and Budgetary Function
The core function of Law No. 6173/1974 is to authorize the **Executive Branch** (Poder Executivo) to open a special credit (Credito Especial) to the **Ministry of Communications** (Ministério das Comunicações). The authorized amount was **CR 3,000,000.00** (three million Cruzeiros), the currency of Brazil at that time.

The law's main subjects, as stated in its text and qualifiers, include:
- **Special Budgetary Adjustment (Credito Especial):** The mechanism for allocating unforeseen or specific funds.
- **Atendimento (Service/Care):** Refers to the provision of services or meeting of needs.
- **Destinação (End/Destination):** Refers to the final allocation or purpose of the funds.
- **Reajustamento (Readjustment):** Administrative adjustment, often related to costs or values.
- **Salario (Salary):** Explicitly mentions salary adjustments, indicating the funds may have been used for personnel costs or wage corrections within the ministry.

### Identification and Access
The law is indexed and accessible through several official channels:
- **Official URL:** The full text is available on the Brazilian Presidency's official portal at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1970-1979/l6173.htm`.
- **LexML Brazil ID:** It carries the URN identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1974-12-09;6173`, which is part of Brazil's legal information standardization project.
- **Legal Citation:** It is formally cited as **Lei nº 6173/1974**.
- **Language:** The text is in **Brazilian Portuguese**.

### Jurisdiction and Status
The law applies to the entire territory of **Brazil**, the largest country in South America. As a statute, it holds the status of a public domain document under the "edict of government doctrine," meaning it is not subject to copyright restrictions. This ensures that legal texts like Law No. 6173 remain freely accessible to the public, reinforcing the principle that citizens must have unambiguous access to the laws that govern them. The law is part of the broader Brazilian legal corpus and is tracked by projects like WikiProject Brazilian Laws for knowledge curation.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1974-12-09;6173)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=6173&ano=1974&data=09/12/1974&ato=46cEzaq5kenRVT397)
3. LexML Brasil