Collegiate will analyze the merit of the proposal in 40 sessions; If approved, the PEC goes to the Chamber plenary
Approved (Constitution and Justice Committee) this Wednesday (April 22, 2026), the PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) that abolishes the 6 x 1 scale will go to a special committee, responsible for analyzing the merits of the proposal. There is still no date for the installation of this commission.
Hours after approval, the president of the Chamber, (Republicanos-PB) stated that His intention is to speed up the processing and take the text to a final vote in the plenary in May – anticipating the initial expectation, which was July.
Unlike the CCJ, which only analyzes whether the text respects the Constitution and does not violate important clauses, the special commission is where the proposal is debated. At this stage, deputies discuss the feasibility, economic and social impacts, and political convenience of the proposal.
This is the moment when amendments (changes to the original text) are suggested. The board decides, for example, whether the transition will be gradual or whether there will be differentiation between economic sectors.
During this process, the commission holds public hearings to hear from society. It is at this stage that representatives of unions, business associations and experts are invited to participate and present their arguments.
The CCJ jointly analyzed two PECs that deal with the reduction of weekly working hours, currently limited to 44 hours by the Constitution. In the special committee, the text will be unified before going to the plenary. They are:
- PEC 221 of 2019 – proposes reducing weekly working hours to 36 hours, with gradual implementation over 10 years. The text maintains the possibility of compensation of schedules by collective agreement. It was authored by the deputy (PT-MG). Here is it (PDF – 246 kB).
- PEC 8 of 2025 (added to PEC 221/2019) – stipulates working hours of up to 36 hours per week distributed over 4 working days, with 3 days of rest. It eliminates the 6 x 1 scale and maintains the possibility of adjustments through collective negotiation. It was authored by the deputy (Psol-SP). Here is it (PDF – 202 kB).
Once installed, the commission has a period of 40 plenary sessions to issue an opinion. In the first 10 sessions, amendments to the text are presented.
COMPOSITION AND TERM
- collegiate – It can have 20 to 40 members, appointed by party leaders in proportion to the size of each party group in the Chamber. The exact number is defined by the President of the Chamber when creating the board;
- substitutes – the number is equal to the number of holders;
- presidency – once the commission has been formed, the members they vote to elect the president of the collegiate (generally defined in advance by agreement between party leaders). Once elected, it is up to the president of the commission to choose and appoint the rapporteur, whose name remains undefined;
- term – is counted in number of sessions. In the Chamber, the rapporteur must present the opinion in up to 40 sessions. In general, one session is held per day. But, to reach the plenary in May as Hugo Motta wants, more than one session per working day will be necessary;
- How long can the statutory deadline be? – if deputies only hold one session per day, following the practice (only working on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays), the PEC special commission at the end of 6 X 1 could last until around August.
PLENARY
Approved by the special committee, the project will be taken to the plenary. As it is a PEC (constitutional amendment, which changes the text of the Magna Carta), the procedure is more rigorous: at least 308 votes in favor (3/5 of parliamentarians) are needed, in 2 rounds of voting, for the proposal to be approved in the Chamber and sent to the Senate.
In the Senate, it will need to receive again at least 3/5 of the 81 senators (the equivalent of 49 votes), also in two votes.
- Senate stamper – for the PEC to be approved this year, the senators will only have to approve what comes from the Chamber, without changing anything. If the Senate changes the text, the proposal must return to the Chamber for two new votes with a qualified quorum of deputies.
This report is co-authored by journalism intern Thalita Cardoso, under the supervision of editor Lucas Fantinatti.
