Issues & Legislation
Issues In Depth: Budget & Local Aid
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Overview

The drafting and debate of the state's annual budget is one of the largest and most complex responsibilities of state legislators. In fact, the process for the next Fiscal Year (which begins on July 1st) is already underway. 

The Governor submits his budget in mid-January and the legislative Ways and Means Committees hold hearings with top administration officials and other interested parties during February and March. In mid-April, the House of Representatives unveils and debates its own version, and the Senate follows suit in mid-May. 

After each branch has adopted it's version of the budget, a joint Senate-House Conference Committee will resolve the differences between the versions. The full Legislature will then vote to approve or disapprove a budget bill which is sent to the Governor for his approval or disapproval. 

The Governor may sign the bill or he may choose to veto line items or entire sections. The Legislature may then take up any of these vetoes and override them with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. 

Timetable of the Budget Process
Massachusetts government is funded on a Fiscal Year basis. The Fiscal Year 2013 runs from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. This timetable, adapted from one created for mass.gov, explains the various stages of the budget process and provides links to the relevant legislation and resources.

Legislation & Related Documents

Budget-writing steps
         
The budget begins as a bill that the Governor submits in January (or February if at the start of a new term) to the House of Representatives.
     
The House Ways and Means Committee reviews this budget and then develops its own recommendation.
     
House Budget Debate
  Currently Occurring for FY2013 Budget
The full House then debates the bill and adopts and proposed amendments.
     
House Final Budget
 
Once debated, amended and voted on by the full House, it becomes the House budget bill.
     
Senate Ways and Means Budget
 
At this point, the House passes its bill to the Senate. The Senate Ways & Means Committee reviews that bill and develops its own recommendation.
     
Senate Budget Debate
 
The full Senate then debates the bill and adopts any proposed amendments.
     
Senate Budget
 
Once debated, amended and voted on, it becomes the Senate's budget bill.
     
Conference Committee Report
 
House and Senate leadership then assign members to a joint "conference committee" to negotiate the differences between the House and Senate bills. Once that work is completed, the conference committee returns its bill to the House for a vote. If the House makes any changes to the bill, it must return the bill to the conference committee to be renegotiated. Once approved by the House, the budget passes to the Senate, which then votes its approval.
     
Governor's Vetoes
From there, the Senate passes the bill to the Governor who has ten days to review and approve it, or make vetoes or reductions. The Governor may approve or veto the entire budget, or may veto or reduce certain line items or sections, but may not add anything.
     
Veto Overrides
The House and Senate may vote to override the Governor's vetoes. Overrides require a two-thirds majority in each chamber.
     
Final Budget
 
The final budget is also known as the General Appropriations Act or "Chapter [#] of the Acts of 2012."

      

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