# Law No. 6962 of December 7, 1981

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649938](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649938)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-6962-of-december-7-1981

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 6962, de 7 de dezembro de 1981
- **Alternative Name:** Law No. 6962 of December 7, 1981
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 6962/1981
- **Classification:** Instance of a statute (formal written document creating law)
- **Date of Promulgation:** December 7, 1981
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil; promulgated by João Figueiredo
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Subject Matter (Law Digest):** "ESTIMA A RECEITA E FIXA A DESPESA DA UNIÃO PARA O EXERCICIO FINANCEIRO DE 1982" (Estimates the revenue and fixes the expenditure of the Union for the fiscal year of 1982)
- **Main Subjects:** Budget (Orçamento), Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal), Expense (Despesa), Decision (Fixação), Revenue (Receita)
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1981-12-07;6962
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l6962.htm
- **Wikimedia Project Focus:** Listed on WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 6962/1981?**
This law's primary function is to estimate the revenue and fix the expenditure of Brazil's federal government (the Union) for the 1982 fiscal year. It serves as the annual budget law authorizing the financial plan for the nation during that period.

**Who approved and promulgated this law?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and specifically promulgated by President João Figueiredo on December 7, 1981.

**Where can the official text of this law be accessed?**
The official text is available online via the Brazilian government's Planalto website at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l6962.htm. It is also indexed under the LexML Brazil identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1981-12-07;6962.

**What type of legal instrument is this?**
Law No. 6962 is classified as a statute, which is a formal written document that creates law. As a statute, it is a subclass of written work, document, and rule, serving as a manifestation of statutory law and containing legal norms.

**To which jurisdiction does this law apply?**
This law applies to the entire Federative Republic of Brazil. It governs the federal budget and thus impacts the national government's financial operations across the country.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 6962 of December 7, 1981, is a significant instrument of fiscal governance in Brazil. As the federal budget law for the 1982 fiscal year, it represents the formal legal authorization required for the government to collect revenue and incur expenses. By law, the Brazilian federal government cannot spend public funds without such legislative approval, making this statute a foundational document for the operation of the state during that period.

Its importance lies in its role as the concrete, written manifestation of statutory law related to the national budget. It directly addresses core fiscal concepts: revenue estimation (Receita), expenditure fixing (Despesa), and budgetary decision-making (Fixação/Orçamento). By legally defining the financial framework for the Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal), the law ensures that governmental activities for 1982 were grounded in a formally enacted legal basis, providing transparency and a reference point for public accountability. As a statute, it is a public domain document, ensuring unrestricted public access to the laws that governed them.

## Notable For
- **Fiscal Authorization:** Serves as the definitive legal document authorizing the Brazilian federal budget for the 1982 fiscal year.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the presidency of João Figueiredo, the last president of the Brazilian military dictatorship, providing a record of federal priorities during that transitional era.
- **Statutory Classification:** A clear example of a "statute" — a formal, written document creating law — as defined in global legal ontologies and schema.org.
- **LexML Integration:** Identified within the Brazilian legal information system via a unique LexML URN (Uniform Resource Name), ensuring standardized referencing.
- **Open Access:** The full text is publicly accessible online via the official government portal (planalto.gov.br), reflecting the principle that laws are public domain documents.

## Body

### Legislative Identity and Official Designation
Law No. 6962 of December 7, 1981, is formally titled **Lei nº 6962, de 7 de dezembro de 1981**. It is legally cited as **Lei nº 6962/1981**. As a piece of Brazilian federal legislation, it is written in **Brazilian Portuguese** and applies to the **Federative Republic of Brazil**. The law's unique identifier within the Brazilian Legal XML system (LexML) is `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1981-12-07;6962`, which provides a standardized method for referencing the document in digital legal repositories.

### Promulgation and Authority
The statute was promulgated on **December 7, 1981**, in the federal capital of **Brasília**. The act of promulgation was performed by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with **João Figueiredo** serving as the President who approved the law. This process follows the standard legislative workflow where a "draft law" is caused by "legislation" and results in a formal "legal act." The law's status as a statute places it taxonomically as a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," distinct from broader concepts but functioning as a critical part of the "legal act" and "law."

### Core Function: The Federal Budget for 1982
The explicit purpose of Law No. 6962 is encapsulated in its law digest: **"ESTIMA A RECEITA E FIXA A DESPESA DA UNIÃO PARA O EXERCICIO FINANCEIRO DE 1982"** (Estimates the revenue and fixes the expenditure of the Union for the fiscal year of 1982). This defines its scope across several interconnected subjects:
- **Budget (Orçamento):** The overarching financial plan for the fiscal year.
- **Revenue (Receita):** The income the federal government anticipated collecting.
- **Expense (Despesa):** The expenditures the government was authorized to make.
- **Decision (Fixação):** The formal act of setting or fixing these amounts.
- **Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal):** The entity whose financial operations are governed by this law.

As a budget law, it is the instrument through which the executive branch's financial proposal for 1982 was given the force of statutory law, enabling the state to function by providing the legal basis for taxation and public spending.

### Nature as a Statute
In a broader legal and ontological context, Law No. 6962 is an instance of a **statute**. This classification means it is a formal written document enacted to create law. A statute is the physical or formal expression of a legal rule, composed of "legal norms." In the United States and France, statutes are notable for being in the **public domain** (per the "edict of government doctrine"), a status that ensures public accessibility. This Brazilian law aligns with that principle, being freely available for citizen review. It is semantically equivalent to the `https://schema.org/Legislation` class used in structured data, marking it as a recognized type of legal document in global knowledge systems.

### Access and Digital Presence
The full text of Law No. 6962/1981 is digitally archived and accessible to the public. The official document can be found at the URL: **https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l6962.htm**, hosted on the Brazilian government's legislative portal. The law is a subject of focus for the **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its inclusion in efforts to organize and document Brazilian legislation on knowledge platforms. Its existence is referenced and verified through official sources, including the LexML gateway and the Brazilian Presidency's legislative archive.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1981-12-07;6962)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=6962&ano=1981&data=07/12/1981&ato=15aoXUE50MrRVTeec)
3. LexML Brasil