President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is weighing a provisional measure to create a standalone Ministry of Public Security. The initiative depends on whether the National Congress approves the constitutional amendment on public security scheduled for this week, according to reporting by Folha de S.Paulo.

The plan would split the current Ministry of Justice and Public Security into two independent cabinet posts. Under the proposed model, federal oversight of police forces and penitentiary systems would separate from legal affairs and judicial policy. The division was previously adopted during the Temer administration in 2018 and has returned to internal discussions inside the Planalto presidential palace.

The constitutional amendment now before lawmakers seeks to expand federal authority over organized crime and standardize national policing guidelines. Government officials note that implementing the constitutional changes will require dedicated federal machinery to manage law enforcement coordination alongside state governments.

Lawmakers return to Brasília on Monday, August 31, for a concentrated legislative voting block ahead of the upcoming electoral period. The public security amendment is on the priority docket. The executive branch will decide whether to sign the provisional measure once Congress concludes its floor votes.