# Law No. 6977 of December 22, 1981

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105650020](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105650020)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-6977-of-december-22-1981

## Summary
Law No. 6977 of December 22, 1981 is a Brazilian statute enacted to authorize supplementary credit allocations within the federal budget. It was promulgated by President João Figueiredo in Brasília and applies to the Federal Government of Brazil, specifically addressing budgetary authorizations and financial operations for the executive branch.

## Key Facts
- **Full Title:** Lei nº 6977, de 22 de dezembro de 1981
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 6977/1981
- **Type:** Statute (formal written document creating law)
- **Date of Publication:** December 22, 1981
- **Promulgation Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Approved By:** President João Figueiredo
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Main Subjects:**
  - Supplementary Credit (Credito Suplementar)
  - Budget (Orçamento)
  - Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal)
  - Authorization (Autorização)
  - Ministry of Education (Ministerio Da Educação - MEC)
  - Executive Branch (Executivo)
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1981-12-22;6977
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l6977.htm
- **Wikimedia Project:** Listed on WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What is the purpose of Law No. 6977/1981?**
This law authorizes supplementary credit allocations within Brazil's federal budget system. It specifically addresses financial authorizations for the Federal Government of Brazil, including operations related to the Ministry of Education and the executive branch.

**Who signed Law No. 6977/1981 into effect?**
The law was approved and promulgated by President João Figueiredo through the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil on December 22, 1981.

**Where can the full text of Law No. 6977/1981 be accessed?**
The official text is available through the Brazilian government's Planalto portal at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l6977.htm and can also be referenced via the LexML system using its unique identifier.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 6977 of December 22, 1981 represents a specific mechanism within Brazilian fiscal governance for managing supplementary budget credits. As a statute enacted during the military dictatorship period (1964-1985) under President João Figueiredo—the last military president before Brazil's transition to democracy—this law illustrates how budgetary adjustments and authorizations were formally processed through legislative channels. The law's focus on supplementary credits (Credito Suplementar) indicates its role in modifying existing budget allocations, a critical function for government financial management. Its specific mention of the Ministry of Education suggests targeted funding adjustments for educational programs during this period. The law's existence on the official Planalto portal and its indexing in the LexML Brazil system demonstrate the Brazilian government's commitment to maintaining accessible legal archives, allowing citizens, researchers, and legal professionals to trace fiscal policy decisions across different political eras.

## Notable For
- **Budgetary Authorization Mechanism:** Specifically addresses supplementary credit (Credito Suplementar), a specialized fiscal instrument for modifying approved budgets
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the final years of Brazil's military dictatorship, representing the administrative continuity of fiscal governance during political transition
- **Targeted Sector Funding:** Explicitly includes the Ministry of Education (MEC) as a main subject, indicating educational sector budget modifications
- **Digital Preservation:** Indexed in both the LexML Brazil system and available on the official Planalto government portal, ensuring permanent public access
- **WikiProject Recognition:** Listed on WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its documentation within collaborative legal knowledge bases

## Body

### Legislative Classification and Formal Structure

Law No. 6977 of December 22, 1981 (Lei nº 6977, de 22 de dezembro de 1981) is classified as a **statute**—a formal written document that creates law within the Brazilian legal system. As a statute, it serves as a manifestation of statutory law and constitutes a legal norm enacted by the federal government. The document falls under the broader category of federal legislation and is formally cited as Lei nº 6977/1981.

The law was published on December 22, 1981, in Brasília, the federal capital of Brazil. It is written in Brazilian Portuguese, the official language of Brazil, and applies to the entire jurisdiction of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

### Executive Authorization and Promulgation

The statute received approval through the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** (Presidência da República Federativa do Brasil) and was promulgated by **President João Figueiredo**, who served as Brazil's president from 1979 to 1985. Figueiredo was the last of the military presidents who governed Brazil during the 1964-1985 dictatorship period, making this law one of numerous legislative acts from the final phase of military rule before Brazil's return to democratic governance.

The promulgation method utilized was formal promulgation, consistent with Brazilian constitutional requirements for federal legislation. The determination method qualifier in the structured data confirms this was a standard promulgation process rather than an emergency decree or provisional measure.

### Subject Matter and Scope

The law addresses multiple interconnected subjects within federal fiscal administration:

**Supplementary Credit (Credito Suplementar):** The primary subject matter, supplementary credits represent a budgetary mechanism that allows the government to increase specific budget allocations beyond originally approved amounts. This typically occurs when additional revenue sources are identified or when reallocations within the budget become necessary.

**Budget (Orçamento):** The law operates within the framework of Brazil's federal budget system, which during the early 1980s was undergoing various fiscal pressures related to external debt and economic stabilization efforts.

**Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal):** The law applies specifically to federal-level operations, distinct from state or municipal jurisdictions within Brazil's federal system.

**Authorization (Autorização):** The law functions as an authorization mechanism, granting legal permission for specific financial operations or transfers.

**Ministry of Education (Ministerio Da Educação - MEC):** The explicit inclusion of Brazil's Ministry of Education indicates that at least a portion of the supplementary credits authorized by this law were designated for educational programs or institutions under MEC oversight. This reflects the federal government's role in funding education within Brazil's federal system.

**Executive Branch (Executivo):** The law pertains to executive branch operations, consistent with budget execution being primarily an executive function within Brazil's governmental structure.

### Official Identification and Access Systems

The law is indexed through Brazil's **LexML (Legal XML) system**, a standardized infrastructure for identifying and exchanging legal information. Its unique LexML identifier is `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1981-12-22;6977`, which breaks down as:
- `urn:lex` — the LexML Uniform Resource Name scheme
- `br` — Brazil (jurisdiction)
- `federal` — federal level of government
- `lei` — law (statute type)
- `1981-12-22` — date of publication
- `6977` — law number

The official text is permanently archived and accessible through the **Planalto Portal** (Portal do Planalto), the Brazilian federal government's official website for executive branch information. The specific URL `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l6977.htm` provides direct access to the law's full text within the Civil Cabinet's legislative archive section, which organizes laws by their year of publication.

### Wikidata and Collaborative Documentation

Law No. 6977/1981 is documented within Wikidata, the free knowledge base that supports Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. It is included in **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, a collaborative effort to structure and improve coverage of Brazilian legislation within Wikimedia projects. The Wikidata description for this entity is simply "Brazilian law," reflecting its status as a national-level legislative instrument.

The structured data indicates the law has been referenced and verified through multiple sources, with reference dates in 2021 confirming recent validation of the law's metadata and access URLs. This documentation ensures the law's persistent identifiability within semantic web and knowledge graph applications.

### Context Within Brazilian Legal Framework

Brazil operates as a federal republic with a civil law legal system heavily influenced by Portuguese legal traditions and Roman law foundations. Federal laws (leis) represent the highest form of ordinary legislation, below only the Federal Constitution in the hierarchy of norms. During the period when Law No. 6977/1981 was enacted, Brazil was governed under the 1967 Constitution (as amended in 1969), which had been established during the military regime.

The law's enactment in 1981 places it within a significant historical context: Brazil was experiencing economic difficulties including high inflation and external debt, while simultaneously beginning a slow political opening process known as *abertura* (opening), which would culminate in the return to civilian rule in 1985. Budget authorization laws during this period often reflected the government's attempts to manage fiscal constraints while maintaining essential public services, including education.

The capital city Brasília, where the law was published, had served as Brazil's federal capital since 1960, when the government relocated from Rio de Janeiro. The reference to Brasília as the place of publication follows standard Brazilian legislative citation conventions, where the capital city and publication date are integral to the law's formal identification.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1981-12-22;6977)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=6977&ano=1981&data=22/12/1981&ato=e89QTVE50MrRVT6df)