Bill > A3229

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a statutory process by which members of the Legislature and the Executive Branch (through the State Treasurer) may propose changes to the Governor's budget recommendations after they are transmitted to the Legislature. These recommended changes are formally known as budget resolutions. This bill is intended to provide greater transparency in the preparation of the annual appropriation bill by requiring all budget resolutions to be filed and made available to the public through the Office of Legislative Services not later than June 1 of each year. Joint Rule 42 of the Senate and General Assembly governs the current process for submitting proposals to revise revenues, line-items of appropriation, and language provisions in the Governor's budget recommendations. Budget resolutions may be filed with the Legislature's budget committees at least 14 calendar days prior to the passage of the annual appropriations bill in each House of the Legislature, except in a manner determined by the presiding officer of each House. The joint rule requires budget resolutions to be delivered to the Legislative Budget and Finance Officer and made available to the public through the Office of Legislative Services. The rule does not provide any date by which budget resolutions are to be made available to the public. It has been common practice for budget resolutions to be posted on the Legislature's internet website long after the annual appropriations bill is enacted into law, thereby hindering the public's ability to assess the impact of budget resolutions on the State's annual finances. Delaying the publication of budget resolutions also prevents the timely disclosure of the sponsor or sponsors of each budget resolution and whether they, or certain members of their immediate family, have any employment or business relationship with an entity that is the intended recipient of increased funding proposed in a budget resolution. It is the sponsor's belief that timely disclosure of budget resolutions prior to the enactment of the annual appropriations bill will allow for ample examination of proposed changes to the Governor's recommendations and increase public confidence in the legislative process.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Aura Dunn (R)*,  Gerry Scharfenberger (R)*,  Vicky Flynn (R),  Michele Matsikoudis (R), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document