1 – What is the Senate?

The Federal Senate is part of the Brazilian Legislative Branch and represents the States and the Federal District. Together with the Chamber of Deputies, it enacts laws that are valid throughout the country. In addition to enacting laws, it plays a vital role in overseeing the Executive Branch, particularly with regard to the use of public funds and compliance with the law.

Among its responsibilities is the trial of high-ranking government officials in cases involving crimes of responsibility. Those who may be tried include the President and Vice-President of Brazil, Ministers of State, Commanders of the Armed Forces, Justices of the Federal Supreme Court, members of the National Council of Justice and the National Council of the Prosecution Service, the Prosecutor General of Brazil, and the Attorney General of the Union.

The Senate is also responsible for approving nominations for important positions, such as judges of superior courts, ministers of the Federal Court of Accounts, territorial governors, the president and directors of the Central Bank, the Prosecutor General of Brazil, and ambassadors, among others.

Finally, the institution is responsible for authorizing external loans contracted by the country, states, the Federal District, and municipalities, analyzing the terms under which the funds were granted and the financial impact on the administrations involved.

2 – Who are the parliamentarians?

The Federal Senate is composed of 81 senators—three from each state and three from the Federal District—who are elected to eight-year terms. Each senator is elected together with two alternates, who assume the seat in the event of the incumbent's absence from office. The renewal of positions occurs alternately every four years, renewing either one third (1/3) or two thirds (2/3) of the 81 positions.

In the course of their duties, some parliamentarians hold leadership and organizational positions within the Federal Senate, for example, serving on the Directing Committee (also called the Directing Board). The President of the Senate is the member of the Board most well-known to the public. Furthermore, parties and blocs form leaderships that coordinate parliamentary activities.

Senators maintain an official page with detailed information about their office expenses and parliamentary activity: proposals presented, speeches, matters reported, votes, participation in committees, and official missions.

Finally, to take office, the elected candidates must present the necessary documents and complete the required forms.

3 – Contact the Senate

There are several ways to contact the Senate and your representatives. The toll-free number 0800 061 2211 allows you to send messages to senators—either individually or in groups—as well as to the institution itself, through the Ombudsman’s Office, which also accepts inquiries online.

Through the Ombudsman's Office, you can submit questions, suggestions, commendations, criticisms, requests, and complaints. All complaints are reviewed and forwarded to the appropriate departments for clarification or to take the necessary action. Responses are sent by email. If the requested information is not available from the Ombudsman’s Office, you may request it using a specific form, in accordance with the Access to Information Law (Law No. 12527/2011). You can also contact the Senate through its official social media accounts.

Some sectors have their own communication channels. The Special Prosecutor's Office for Women, for example, is tasked with safeguarding, monitoring, enforcing, and promoting women’s rights by creating mechanisms for empowerment, particularly in situations of gender inequality. The Women's Observatory Against Violence is responsible for collecting and analyzing official data on the subject.

Questions about the legislative process—such as the status of bills or the passage of proposals—are answered by specialists at the Assistance Desk for the Legislative Process User. Media inquiries should be directed to the Press Office. To work on Senate premises, journalists must obtain prior accreditation.

Media inquiries should be directed to the Press Office. To work on Senate premises, journalists must obtain prior accreditation.

4 – Find out what’s happening in the Senate

All committee and plenary meetings are recorded and broadcast in various formats (audio, video, and text), and the session schedules are available on the Senate’s website.

The Senate maintains an integrated communications system—radio, TV, website, print newspaper, and social media accounts—that covers and reports on legislative activities in real time. The Senate News Agency produces daily journalistic and photographic content on its website and offers an email newsletter. The Senate's photo collection is also available online.

Legislative sessions can be followed on Rádio Senado or TV Senado. Both the audio files and recordings are stored on the Senate Multimedia website. You can also follow legislative activity on the Senate's YouTube channel. Copies of the videos can be requested by email.

In addition to legislative coverage, TV Senado airs programming focused on culture and civic engagement, and Rádio Senado broadcasts Brazilian popular music. Both channels can be accessed online, and interested radio stations can register to redistribute news from Rádio Senado. Learn how to tune in to Rádio Senado.

Communication support documents and services are also available online, such as the Communication Manual of the Secretariat of Social Communication, the Legislative Glossary, the "Understand the Issue" series, and the website and social media usage policies.

5 - Learning Opportunities

The Federal Senate offers a variety of free educational opportunities. For citizens, online courses —whichare open to everyone—and in-person courses are available; registration is required for the in-person courses due to limited space. Furthermore, even without formal registration, several video lessons are freely available on the Brazilian Legislative Institute's YouTube channel.

With a focus on improving public administration, the institution also offers graduate programs accredited by the Ministry of Education (MEC) designed for employees of the Senate and partner agencies, such as the Chamber of Deputies, the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), and the Legislative Chamber of the Federal District. With the aim of strengthening the Legislative Branch, the Senate conducts workshops offering a variety of training programs tailored to city councils and state legislatures.

The portal also provides all the information and guidance for students who wish to join the Senate's internship program.

6 - Visit

The Federal Senate building is located in Três Poderes Square, next to the headquarters of the executive and judicial branches. The Senate building is open to the public and offers guided tours, which can be booked online in Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, and Brazilian Sign Language. On weekends, visitors may also join walk-in tour groups without prior booking.

The Senate operates a museum with free admission and periodically hosts cultural events open to the public.

You may attend plenary sessions, committee meetings, and public hearings in person, subject to seating capacity. The Legislative Calendar provides dates and times for all parliamentary meetings, and broadcasts and recordings of committee and plenary sessions are available online. The Calendar also includes the full text of the speeches delivered by senators during these events.

7 – Accessibility

The Federal Senate continues to operate the Inclusive Senate program, which offers equipment loans, accessibility support for visitors, and publications in Braille.

In the digital environment, the Senate Portal adheres to accessibility standards, and the responsible teams are continuously working to expand the available resources. Please refer to the accessibility settings currently offered on the website.

8 – Search our collections and documents

The Federal Senate maintains an extensive historical archive available for public consultation—including original copies of landmark national legislation, such as the Golden Law. Research requests to the Senate Archives can be made via an online form, by email, or in person.

The Senate Library provides in-person and email assistance and offers an online database for reference searches of its collection. Once you have located the materials you are interested in, you may consult them in person and request copies in accordance with current legislation. In addition, the Digital Library offers thousands of titles for free access and download in digital format.

The Federal Senate publishes works on legislation, history, and citizenship. Most of the titles available in the Senate Library can be downloaded free of charge from the Senate's website. When a print version is available, the publications are offered at cost.

On the Senate website, you’ll find a variety of publications, such as official records—Senate and Congressional journals and legislation—as well as legislative and budgetary studies, magazines, and materials for children.

9 – Learn all about the laws and legislative proposals

All information regarding proposed legislation and the legislative process is available on the Senate’s website. From the time a bill is introduced until it is passed or withdrawn, the complete record is documented and available to the public.

In a roll-call vote, it is possible to see how each senator voted. Each bill has a page containing the full text, the proposed amendments, the status of the bill, as well as information on the authors, rapporteurs, and deadlines. Anyone who wants to follow a specific bill can sign up for email notifications and receive updates automatically.

The results of legislative activities are published in reports, such as the monthly report on votes and debates, the monthly statistics on legislative activity, and the President’s report. You can also access legal documents on the website—such as the Constitution, the Standing Rules of the Federal Senate, and other regulations—using the legislation and court precedents search system.

DataSenado compiles public opinion polls on issues under debate in Congress and publishes the results of surveys conducted on its website, providing an overview of the public’s views on legislative matters.

10 – Get involved

The Federal Senate encourages citizen participation in political life through technologies that increase public engagement with the legislative process. On the e-Cidadania portal, anyone can submit legislative proposals, follow ongoing debates, and comment on proposals under consideration in the Senate—initiatives that, if adopted, can be developed into bills.

Each year, the Young Senator Program selects 27 high school students from state public schools, aged 19 or younger, through an essay contest. The winners are invited to Brasília to serve as junior senators, propose and debate bills that may later be forwarded to the senators and, eventually, become law.

11 – Transparency

The Federal Senate publishes information online regarding the use of its resources and its administrative and legislative activities, making it easier for the public to monitor its work. For each senator, there is data on airfare, per diem allowances, subsidies, retirement benefits, and office expenses. Governance information is also available, including department contact information, regulations, management reports, material consumption data, fixed assets, and guidelines for suppliers, as well as access to electronic auctions on ComprasNet.

The portal brings together all contracts (current and terminated), with search options by company, subject matter, or type, including labor contracts and price registration records. There is also information on human resources, including permanent and appointed employees, retirees, interns, contractors, young apprentices, and civil service exams. Consolidated reports show overtime pay and records of payments and reimbursements for per diems and travel expenses related to institutional assignments.

The budget and finance section presents the budget statements based on the Budget Directives Law and Joint Ordinance No. 5, signed by the Federal Budget Secretariat, the Federal Senate, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. There is also information on revenues and expenses by fiscal year, expenses by item and phase, supply of funds, and budget execution organized by four-month period, in compliance with articles 54 and 55 of the Fiscal Responsibility Law (Complementary Law No. 101/2000). The data is available in open data format.

Legislation related to transparency and the reports required under the Access to Information Law (annual and monthly) are also available on the portal. To make it easier to use the transparency portal, there are frequently asked questions and a guide to the Legislative Transparency Index. The minutes and information from the Transparency and Social Oversight Council are also available.

12 – Organization of the Senate Portal

The Senate Portal is organized into four main sections: Legislative Activity, News, Transparency, and Institutional.

The Legislative Activity section compiles legislative data—bills, their progress through Congress, the texts of the bills and their amendments—as well as information on current senators and those from previous legislative sessions.

The News section provides, in accessible language, coverage of legislative activities and content from the Communications Secretariat (SECOM), including radio, TV, news agency reports, photos, and video archives.

Transparency compiles the Senate’s administrative and budgetary data in a clear and easily accessible format, in addition to providing information on senators’ financial disclosures.

The Institutional Portalbrings together various pages that highlight the work of the Federal Senate, including publications, historical documents, and guidelines for visiting the National Congress Palace, the Senate Museum, and the Senate Library.