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Bill > A4143
NJ A4143
NJ A4143"Long-Term Budget Outlook Act"; requires State Treasurer to prepare and submit annual multi-year fiscal outlook analysis report.
summary
Introduced
02/19/2026
02/19/2026
In Committee
02/19/2026
02/19/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill requires the State Treasurer to submit an annual multi-year fiscal outlook analysis to the Governor and the Legislature based on the Governor's proposed budget. The purpose of this bill is to identify publicly the trajectory of the budget's structural deficit in future years to inform current decision-making. The bill requires the multi-year fiscal outlook analysis to include a forecast of the State's anticipated fiscal position, based on the Governor's proposed budget for the next fiscal year and for each of the next two succeeding State fiscal years. For each State fiscal year, the analysis is required to include an itemized statement of the anticipated amount of all appropriations, revenues, and fund balance as well as distinct projections of any structural deficit, based on the optimistic, pessimistic, and baseline economic scenario for each State fiscal year. The bill requires the anticipated amounts of appropriations in each State fiscal year to be estimated using a current services basis of budgeting method and adjusted based on relevant economic metrics and programmatic adjustments. Current services budgeting is a method used to project what the State would have to spend on a given program to maintain the program at its currently proposed funding level in the absence of any proposed policy changes. In each case, the bill requires the multi-year fiscal outlook analysis to include a statement explaining the underlying assumptions and methods used to determine the anticipated amount of revenues and appropriations for each fiscal year, as well as the optimistic, pessimistic, and baseline economic scenarios. The bill also directs the State Treasurer to submit the multi-year fiscal outlook analysis twice each year. The bill requires the multi-year fiscal outlook analysis to be submitted either on or before April 1, or on the date of the State Treasurer's first appearance before the Legislature's budget committees following the Governor's budget message, whichever occurs earlier, and once on or before May 31, or on the date of the State Treasurer's second appearance before the Legislature's budget committees during their consideration of the Governor's proposed budget. The bill also requires the updated multi-year fiscal outlook analysis to include a statement explaining any revisions to the initial analysis submitted for that year.
AI Summary
This bill mandates that the State Treasurer must prepare and submit an annual "multi-year fiscal outlook analysis" to the Governor and the Legislature, which will provide a forecast of the state's financial position for the upcoming fiscal year and the two years following it, based on the Governor's proposed budget. This analysis aims to publicly highlight any "structural deficit," which is a shortfall in the budget that is expected to persist over multiple years, to help inform current financial decisions. The report will detail anticipated appropriations (money allocated for spending), revenues (money the state expects to collect), and fund balances (money left over), and will present these projections under optimistic, pessimistic, and baseline economic scenarios. The bill specifies that appropriations should be estimated using a "current services basis of budgeting," meaning the cost to maintain existing programs and services at their current levels, adjusted for factors like inflation and population changes, rather than accounting for new policy proposals. The State Treasurer is also required to submit an updated version of this analysis later in the year, explaining any changes from the initial report, and both reports must clearly state the assumptions and methods used in their calculations.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee (on 02/19/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A4143 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A4500/4143_I1.HTM |
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