Brazil's Senate unanimously passes public security amendment
The reform writes the Unified Public Security System into the Constitution and allows municipal police forces. Lowering the age of criminal responsibility was left out.
Brazil's Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a constitutional amendment on public security, PEC 18/2025. All 73 senators voting in the first round and all 75 in the second backed it. The Chamber of Deputies had already passed the text, and because the Senate made no substantive changes, it goes to promulgation with no date set.
The amendment writes the Unified Public Security System into the Constitution and gives the federal government a bigger role in the sector. It also regulates municipal police forces, with criteria for training and financial capacity and outside oversight by prosecutors.
Members of criminal factions and militias face penalties set by their rank in the organization, time in maximum-security prisons, limits on moving to looser regimes and possible seizure of assets. The rules also reach companies tied to them and add protection for whistleblowers and their families.
The national public security, prison and Federal Police funds are shielded from freezes and diversions, with exceptions written into the text, and the sector gets 10% of the Social Fund surplus. The Federal Highway Police can now operate on federal railways and waterways. Justice Minister Wellington César Lima e Silva defended the shielding after the vote:
"Organized crime does not cut its own budget."
Lowering the age of criminal responsibility is not part of the amendment. Two proposals were on the table: opposition leader Rogerio Marinho's, at 16 as the rule and 14 for heinous crimes, and one from Camilo Santana of the Workers' Party, at 16 only for heinous crimes. The Senate split them off by 38 votes to 36, and they will move as a separate amendment. The bill's rapporteur, Sen. Rogério Carvalho, warned that adding them would "prevent immediate promulgation"; Marinho replied that the age of criminal responsibility is part of public security.
Brazil is Latin America's largest country, and the amendment writes the division of security duties among the federal government, the states and the municipalities into the Constitution rather than ordinary law.
Senate President Davi Alcolumbre pledged to speed up the proposals on the age of criminal responsibility. Until someone files a request for a special calendar, they will not reach the Constitution and Justice Committee.
