# Law No. 6177 of December 11, 1974

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105660030](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105660030)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-6177-of-december-11-1974

## FAQs

**What is the function of Law No. 6177/1974?**
The law functions as a budgetary measure that grants the Executive Branch permission to open supplementary credits. These credits provide additional funds to the federal budget originally approved for a prior fiscal period (Law 5.964/1973).

**Who signed Law No. 6177 into force?**
The statute was promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The head of state at the time was President Ernesto Geisel, who approved the law on December 11, 1974.

**Where can the official text of this law be accessed?**
The full text is available online via the official Planalto.gov.br portal and is indexed under the LexML Brazil identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1974-12-11;6177`.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 6177/1974 is significant as a concrete example of Brazilian budgetary legislation during the military dictatorship period (1964–1985). It illustrates the mechanism of "supplementary credits" (créditos suplementares), a standard financial tool used by governments to adjust approved budgets in response to unforeseen needs or re-estimations of revenue and expenditure. By referencing the previous year's budget law (No. 5.964/1973), it demonstrates the continuous process of public financial management. The law also serves as a case study for legal digitization efforts in Brazil, evidenced by its inclusion in the LexML network and WikiProject Brazilian Laws, ensuring preservation and accessibility of historical legal acts.

## Notable For
- **Budgetary Adjustment Mechanism:** Exemplifies the use of supplementary credits to modify the federal budget without passing an entirely new budget law.
- **Historical Context:** Promulgated during the administration of President Ernesto Geisel, a key figure in Brazil's political opening (distensão) process.
- **Digital Preservation:** Early adoption of a persistent Uniform Resource Name (URN) via the LexML Brazil standard (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1974-12-11;6177`).
- **Open Government:** Full text is freely accessible via the official government portal (Planalto), consistent with the principle that statutes are in the public domain.
- **WikiProject Inclusion:** Recognized as part of WikiProject Brazilian Laws, highlighting its relevance for collaborative knowledge organization and legal data structuring.

## Body

### Identification and Classification
Law No. 6177 of December 11, 1974, legally cited as **Lei nº 6177/1974**, is a Brazilian federal statute. It is formally classified as an instance of a "statute," a written legal document that creates or modifies law. The document is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of Brazil, and applies to the jurisdiction of the **Federative Republic of Brazil**.

### Legislative Purpose and Content
The primary objective of the law, as stated in its digest, is to **"authorize the Executive Branch to open supplementary credits to the Union's budget, approved by Law 5.964, of December 10, 1973."** This authorization allows for adjustments to the federal budget, increasing specific budgetary allocations (appropriations) as needed. The law's main subjects are explicitly identified as:
- **Supplementary Credit (Crédito Suplementar):** An additional allocation of funds to an existing budget item.
- **Budget Appropriation (Dotação Orçamentária):** The legal authorization to spend a specific amount of money for a specific purpose.
- **Reinforcement (Reforço):** In the context of the Brazilian economy, this refers to the strengthening or augmentation of budgetary resources.

### Promulgation and Authority
The statute was approved and promulgated on **December 11, 1974**, in **Brasília**, the federal capital of Brazil. The approving authority was the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. At that time, the President was **Ernesto Geisel**, who served from 1974 to 1979. The act of promulgation by the President signifies the final step in the legislative process, giving the law its binding force.

### Historical and Political Context
The law was enacted during the period of the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964–1985). President Ernesto Geisel, who signed this law, initiated a slow process of political liberalization known as *distensão* (decompression). Budgetary laws like No. 6177 were routine instruments for managing the state's financial operations, which during this period were focused on infrastructure projects and state-led economic development.

### Official Identifiers and Accessibility
To ensure reliable access and citation, the law is assigned several official identifiers:
- **LexML Brazil URN:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1974-12-11;6177`. This Uniform Resource Name is part of the LexML Brazil initiative, which provides a standardized syntax for identifying legal documents.
- **Planalto Portal URL:** The official text is hosted at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1970-1979/l6177.htm` by the Civil House of the Presidency.
- **WikiProject:** The law is listed on **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, a collaborative effort to organize and improve information about Brazilian legislation on Wikimedia projects.

These identifiers and the public hosting of the document ensure that the law remains accessible for legal research, historical analysis, and public accountability. The existence of a structured URN and a stable URL facilitates the citation of this legal text in digital environments.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1974-12-11;6177)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=6177&ano=1974&data=11/12/1974&ato=802Uzaq5kenRVTe75)
3. LexML Brasil