Legislative Budget Process

Fully developed agency budget is submitted to the Governor’s Division of the Budget and the Legislative Research Department (KLRD) for the current and budget year(s).

Governor makes recommendations to the Legislature for current and budget year(s). Recommendations are presented by the Director of the Budget to House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means (money committees).

Budget hearings consist of a KLRD analyst presentation, an agency representative presentation, and a public comment period. Budget Committee makes recommendations for each agency budget.

KLRD Documents: Budget Analysis

• Budget Committee/Subcommittee Chairperson presents budget recommendations to their corresponding money committee. Money committee makes further recommendations.
• Money committee will later review the state budget as a whole and pass an appropriations bill to that Chamber’s Committee of the Whole.

KLRD Documents: Subcommittee Reports

Chairperson of the money committee carries the bill on the floor.
Members may propose amendments to the appropriations bill at this time.
Committee of the Whole passes the appropriations bill.

KLRD Documents: Bill Explainer

Members of the House and Senate money committees will meet to reconcile differences between the two chambers’ appropriations bills.

KLRD Documents: Conference Comparison

• Committee of the Whole votes on Conference Committee Report.
• Members may not propose amendments at this time.
• Members may propose line-item vetoes, subject to a vote by the Committee of the Whole.
• Final Appropriations Bill is sent to the Governor, who can execute line-item vetoes.
• Committee of the Whole votes on line-item vetoes.

KLRD Documents: Conference Committee Report Brief

• Money committees review and choose whether to recommend the Governor’s Budget Amendments, and fund Policy Bills with fiscal impacts.
• Items referred to Omnibus during the regular budget session are considered.
• Recommendations are used to create the Omnibus Appropriations Bill.
• Omnibus Appropriations Bill passes to the Committee of the Whole; members can propose amendments, and vote on the bill.

KLRD Documents: Omnibus Memo, Bill Explainer

• Similar to the regular budget session, members of the House and Senate money committees will meet to reconcile differences.
• The Committee of the Whole votes on the Conference Committee Report.
• Members may not propose amendments at this time.
• Members may propose line-item vetoes, subject to a vote by the Committee of the Whole.
• Omnibus Appropriations Bill is sent to the Governor, who can execute line-item vetoes.
• Committee of the Whole votes on line-item vetoes.
• When the Omnibus Appropriations Bill is enacted into law, the new budget becomes effective.

KLRD Documents: Conference Committee Report Brief, Conference Comparison