Brazilian Chamber Approves TRT‑4 Staffing Reform and Flood Relief Funding

The Chamber of Deputies' Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) approved a bill to restructure the personnel of the Tribunal Regional do Trabalho da 4ª Região (TRT‑4) in Porto Alegre. The proposal creates 16 substitute labor judges, seven commissioned positions and 165 commissioned functions, and converts 48 chief‑of‑staff roles into advisory posts, at an annual cost of R$ 18.6 million. Deputy Afonso Motta (PDT‑RS), the rapporteur, said the measure addresses a historical deficit and will improve the court’s efficiency. The bill now awaits a vote in the Chamber plenary before moving to the Senate.

Separately, the Senate is set to consider a provisional measure (MP 1.342/2026) that would allocate R$ 1.3 billion in emergency funds for municipalities hit by severe rains, mainly in Minas Gerais. The resources would be channeled through the Ministries of Cities, Development and Social Assistance, and Finance, covering social assistance (R$ 5 million), housing (R$ 500 million for about 2,500 homes), credit guarantees (R$ 300 million) and direct family assistance of R$ 7,300 per household. The MP’s validity runs until 15 July.