- •Constitution of the federative republic of brazil, 1988
- •Preamble
- •Title I. Fundamental principles
- •Chapter I - individual and collective rights and duties
- •Chapter II - social rights
- •Chapter III - nationality
- •Chapter IV - political rights
- •Chapter V - political parties
- •Title III. The organization of the state chapter I. The political and administrative organization
- •Chapter II. The union
- •Chapter III. The federated states
- •Chapter IV. The municipalities
- •Chapter V - the federal district and the territories section I - the federal district
- •Section II - the territories
- •Chapter VI - intervention
- •Chapter VII. Public administration section I - general provisions
- •Section II - civil servants
- •Section III - the military of the states, of the federal district and of the territories
- •Section IV - the regions
- •Title IV- the organization of the powers chapter I - the legislative power section I - the national congress
- •Section II - powers of the national congress
- •Section III - the chamber of deputies
- •Section IV - the federal senate
- •Section V - deputies and senators
- •Section VI - the sessions
- •Section VII - the committees
- •Section VIII - the legislative process subsection I - general provision
- •Subsection II - amendments to the constitution
- •Subsection III - the laws
- •Section IX - accounting, financial and budgetary control
- •Chapter II - the executive power section I - the president and the vice president of the republic
- •Section II - duties of the president of the republic
- •Section III - liability of the president of the republic
- •Section IV - the ministers of state
- •Section V - the council of the republic and the national defense council subsection I - the council of the republic
- •Subsection II - the national defense council
- •Title V - the defense of the state and of the democratic institutions chapter I - the state of defense and the state of siege section I - the state of defense
- •Section II - the state of siege
- •Section III - general provisions
- •Chapter II - the armed forces
- •Chapter III - public security
- •Title VI - taxation and budget chapter I - the national tax system section I - general principles
- •Section II - limitations on the power to tax
- •Section III - federal taxes
- •Section IV - state and federal district taxes
- •Section V - municipal taxes
- •Section VI - tax revenue sharing
- •Chapter II - public finances section I - general rules
- •Section II - budgets
- •Title VII - the economic and financial order chapter I - the general principles of the economic activity
- •Chapter II - urban policy
- •Chapter III - agricultural and land policy and agrarian reform
- •Chapter IV - the national financial system
- •Section II - health
- •Section III - social security
- •Section IV - social assistance
- •Chapter III - education. Culture and sports section I - education
- •Section II - culture
- •Section III - sports
- •Chapter IV - science and technology
- •Chapter V - social communication
- •Chapter VI - environment
- •Chapter VII - family, children, adolescents and the elderly
- •Chapter VIII - indians
- •Title IX - general constitutional provisions
- •Temporary constitutional provisions act
- •Brazil Constitution 1988: translated, updated and commented
Section VI - the sessions
Article 57. The National Congress shall meet each year in the Federal Capital, from February 2nd to July 17th and from August 1st to December 2nd.
Article 57 amended by CA 50, February 14th 2006. This CA extended the period the Parliament should meet. Former text read: "The National Congress shall meet each year in the Federal Capital, from February 15th to June 30th and from August 1st to December 15th."
Paragraph 1 - If sessions scheduled for these dates fall on a Saturday, a Sunday or a holiday, they shall be transferred to the subsequent workday. Paragraph 2 - The legislative session shall not be interrupted before the approval of the bill of budgetary directives . Paragraph 3 - In addition to other cases provided for in this Constitution the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate shall meet in a joint session to: I - inaugurate the legislative session; II - draw up the common regulations and regulate the creation of services common to both Houses; III - take the oath of the President and of the Vice-President of the Republic; IV - acknowledge a veto and resolve thereon. Paragraph 4 - Each of the Houses shall meet in a preparatory session, beginning February 1 of the first year of the legislative term, for the installation of its members and the election of the respective Directing Boards, for a term of office of two years, the re-election to the same office in the immediately subsequent election being prohibited.
Paragraph 4 amended by CA 50, February 14th 2006. Original text read "Both Houses", meaning that Deputies and Senators should meet jointly; with the new text, the members of each House will meet independently.
Paragraph 5 - The Directing Board of the National Congress shall be presided by the President of the Federal Senate and the remaining offices shall be held, alternately, by the holders of equivalent offices in the Chamber of Deputies and in the Federal Senate. Paragraph 6 - Special sessions of the National Congress shall be called: I - by the President of the Federal Senate, in the event of a decree of a state of defense or of federal intervention, of a demand for the authorization to decree a state of siege and the taking of oath and inauguration of the President and the Vice-President of the Republic; II - by the President of the Republic, by the Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Federal Senate or by request of the majority of the members of both Houses, in case of urgency or important public interest, in any case with the approval by the absolute majority of each of the Houses of the National Congress.
Words in purple added by CA 50, February 14th 2006.
Paragraph 7 - In a special legislative session, the National Congress shall deliberate only upon the matter for which it was called, excepted the hypothesis of paragraph 8, the payment of indemnization on account of the calling being forbidden.
Text in purple added by CA 32, September 11th 2001, and later altered by CA 50, February 14th 2006. It used to be the case that, to work in special legislative sessions, Congressmen were paid an 'indemnization' substiantially higher than normal salaries; CA 32 limited the indemnization to one normal monthly salary; CA 50 abolished the indemnization altogether (Congressmen receive only normal salaries).
Paragraph 8 - If provisional measures are in force during the period of special legislative session of the National Congress, they shall be automatically included in the voting list.
Paragraph 8 added by CA 32, September 11th 2001.