High Level Summary of the General Appropriations Act

Senate Bill No. 1, (2010 – 2011, Biennium)

The General Appropriations Act (GAA), also referred to as the state budget, is considered as the only constitutional mandate that the Legislature is required to enact every other year. The GAA is numerically assigned as SB 1 or HB 1 each legislative session with the house and senate taking turns sponsoring the bill. For instance, during the 81st Legislative Regular Session, the GAA was sponsored by the senate as SB 1, even though both chambers hold separate hearings on their prospective appropriations bill. After the bill is debated and amended on the house and senate floor, a panel of five members from each chamber are assigned to a conference committee to work out the differences between the two proposed budgets. After a compromise is reached by the conference committee members, the bill is presented to each chamber again for a final approval. In order to meet the constitutional requirement “pay as you go” the conference committee’s budget must also be submitted to the Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA) and certified as being within the spending limits. The Governor’s signature is also required. The budget for 2010-2011 is $182.3 billion which is a $12.6 billion increase (7.4%) from the 2008-09 biennial level. Of the $182.3 billion, only $87. 1 billion is from General Revenue Funds which is a slight decrease of $1.6 billion (-1.8%) from the anticipated 2008- 09 biennial spending level.

A more detailed analysis of the state budget and what impact it has on counties will be published in the next series of County Issues. For more information, contact Paul Emerson at (800) 456-5974.