Bill > S3457

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the requirements for the preparation and final passage of the annual appropriations act and incorporates multi-year revenue and expenditure projections for informational purposes. Specifically, the bill provides that no bill to effectuate the annual appropriations act for any State fiscal year would be allowed to receive third reading and final passage in either house of the Legislature unless the following three requirements are met: (1) the bill receives first reading and introduction on or before June 1 of the immediately preceding State fiscal year; (2) the final text of the bill is available to the public for not less than 14 full calendar days before the date of third reading and final passage, during which period not less than one public hearing is required be heard by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee or the Assembly Budget Committee, or any successor committee, as applicable, in which hearing members of the public would be given opportunity to testify on the bill; and (3) the bill is accompanied by an explanation, either in the sponsor statement, committee statement, or other similar document, explaining any significant changes related to the total appropriation provided in the bill, or any items of appropriation contained in the bill, as compared to the Governor's budget recommendation. The explanation would also be required to explain any ways in which the sponsor of the bill disagrees with the Governor's long-term revenue and expenditure projections, which the bill would require the Governor include in the annual budget message for informational purposes. Under the bill, these three requirements for the preparation and final passage of the annual appropriations act for any State fiscal year could be waived by an affirmative vote of three-fourths of the total authorized membership of each house of the Legislature. In addition to the information currently included in the Governor's annual budget message, the bill also requires the Governor to include the following information for informational purposes: (1) a projection of the amount of revenues anticipated from all sources applicable and available to support appropriations for the two State fiscal years immediately following the fiscal year for which the budget message is presented; and (2) a projection of the anticipated appropriations to be made from the General State Fund, other budgeted State revenues, other dedicated funds and Federal aid, and trust funds for the two State fiscal years immediately following the fiscal year for which the budget message is presented. To facilitate the inclusion of this information, the bill requires that each department of State government, board, commission, officer, or State agency submit to the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury a projection of its request for appropriation or permission to spend, as the case may be, that specifies all expenditures that are anticipated for the two State fiscal years immediately following the fiscal year for which the Governor's budget message is presented. The director would certify and submit to the Governor, for informational purposes, the anticipated appropriations requests submitted by each spending agency for the two State fiscal years immediately following the fiscal year for which the budget message is presented, as well as a statement indicating the amount of revenues anticipated from all sources applicable and available to support appropriations for the same period. Under current law, the Governor's budget message addresses the proposed complete financial program of the State government for only the next ensuing State fiscal year. Each department of the State Government, board, commission, officer or other State agency is required to submit to the director a request for appropriation or permission to spend, as the case may be, that specifies all expenditures proposed to be made by such spending agency during the next ensuing fiscal year.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Jim Beach (D)*,  Mike Testa (R)*,  Joe Cryan (D),  Holly Schepisi (R), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 02/09/2026)

Official Document