Congress resumes activities after August recess

On August 3, 2026, the National Congress resumed activities after a two-week recess, with no deliberative plenary session scheduled in either the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate.

Calendar of concentrated effort

The presidents of the two Houses decided to concentrate legislative work into two weeks, due to the electoral calendar. The first window will be from August 10 to 14, and the second from August 31 to September 3. On those dates, the only plenary votes before the October general elections are expected to take place.

Pending bills

Among the bills that were not considered in the first half of the year, the constitutional amendment proposal (PEC) that seeks to eliminate the 6x1 work schedule stands out. The text is pending on the desk of the Senate president, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), who has not yet decided when to forward the matter to the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ). The opposition is pushing for an alternative PEC that preserves the 6x1 schedule.

Another point of government interest is the Public Safety PEC, already debated in the Chamber and awaiting deliberation in the Senate. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has publicly urged Alcolumbre to place the issue on the agenda.

The Senate is also expected to examine the bill that regulates the exploitation of critical minerals, already approved by the Chamber.

Budget and pending vetoes

The budget bills – the Budget Guidelines Law (LDO) and the Annual Budget Law (LOA) for 2027 – need to be voted on; the government must submit the LOA by August 31. In addition, 87 vetoes remain that block the legislative agenda, including the regulation of the tax reform, the Pantanal Statute, the 2026 LDO and LOA, the electricity sector framework, and the total veto of the Dosimetry Law, which reduces prison time for those convicted of the January 8 events.

Topics that did not advance in the previous semester

Other bills that did not reach the plenary include the Misogyny Bill, which criminalizes discrimination against women, and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bill, presented as a priority by the Chamber president, Deputy Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB).

Agenda for the first week of return

In the first week, the Chamber will hold only solemn sessions, such as the tribute to the founding of the Assembleia de Deus – Ministério de Madureira, scheduled for Tuesday (4). In the Senate, the sole session slated for Friday (7) will mark Lilac August, a campaign against violence toward women.

Some committees have already scheduled work: the Mixed Budget Committee (CMO) will hold a public hearing on early childhood education funding on Wednesday (5); the Senate Human Rights Committee (CDH) will discuss, on Monday (3), the Golden August campaign, dedicated to promoting breastfeeding.

With information from Agência Brasil.