THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE FLORIDA BUDGET

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1 THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE FLORIDA BUDGET NOVEMBER POLITICO Pro 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Legislative Session Timeline II. Five Things to Know III. Florida Budget: Step-by-Step

3 I. LEGISLATIVE SESSION TIMELINE THE 2018 SESSION AT A GLANCE SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER Pre-session committee weeks NOVEMBER 14 Governor issued budget recommendations JANUARY 9 Session convenes Governor delivers State of the State address FEBRUARY Final committee meetings MARCH 9 Session ends MARCH JUNE Budget signed into law JULY 1 New fiscal year begins 2017 POLITICO Pro 1

4 II. 5 THINGS TO KNOW AHEAD OF BUDGET SEASON 1 Florida s fiscal year begins on July 1. The fiscal year begins on July 1, and the Legislature devotes its 60-day session to debating the collection of bills that will comprise the state budget (also known as the General Appropriations Act). The legislative calendar varies yearly; in odd years session is held from March to May, and in even years it begins in January, according to state finance law. 2 Passing the budget is lawmakers most important responsibility. The budget is the only bill Florida lawmakers are required to pass, and coming to a compromise on a balanced plan is the primary objective of session. However, the Florida House and Senate are not always in alignment on budget priorities or even processes. At the start of the 2017 legislative session, the House and Senate came in taking different approaches to how they wrote their budgets. Fortunately, both chambers agreed to a joint rule to bridge the divide, averting any chaos that could have ensued in the final budget negotiations POLITICO Pro 2

5 3 Budget battles are already brewing. There have already been funding clashes between Gov. Rick Scott and various senators, who feel irked by what they see as the governor elbowing his way into the budget process [Note: it is legislators task not the governor s to write the budget]. Senate leaders are particularly upset by the administration s spending decisions in the wake of Hurricane Irma and harbor resentment over an $85 million infrastructure spending pot that was approved by lawmakers as part of a last-minute budget deal last session. Trouble Ahead? Senate leaders are sending a strong early budget message to the governor after a contentious end to the 2017 legislative session, when they were largely cut out of final negotiations beginning with challenging Scott s priorities and spending habits in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Watch for the Florida Senate to take a firm stance on the governor s budget. 4 Fallout from hurricanes Maria and Irma will dominate the upcoming budget process. Lawmakers are diving into the web of issues tied to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico; Central and South Florida have taken on thousands of additional people, many of whom need access to schools, health care or other critical public services. In October, state education officials reported that more than 3,500 students from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have moved to Florida in the wake of the storm POLITICO Pro 3

6 5 Scott has set his budget priorities. Before the legislative session begins typically 30 days in advance the governor releases a recommended budget. This proposal reflects both state needs and the administration s priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, and is balanced based on available funds and projected revenue. Scott released his state budget request on November 14. His $87.4 billion spending plan includes funding for the following priorities: Environment: Scott is recommending a record $355 million for Everglades restoration, as well as an additional $50 million for the Florida Forever land conservation program at the Department of Environmental Protection. Teacher supply grants: Scott is calling for $18 million in additional funding for teacher supply grants, bringing the total to $63 million. Opioid crisis: Scott included more than $50 million to combat opioid abuse in Florida. The money will go toward treatment, counseling and the Violent Crime and Drug Control Council POLITICO Pro 4

7 III. FLORIDA BUDGET: STEP-BY-STEP 1 AGENCIES ASSESS AND SUBMIT FUNDING REQUESTS TO THE GOVERNOR S OFFICE. In the weeks after the start of the current fiscal year, state agencies begin assessments of their funding needs and prepare revenue estimates for the coming year. These reports, called Legislative Budget Requests, include critical and other high priority needs, which are items that have historically been funded because they are deemed important. 2 GOVERNOR ISSUES RECOMMENDED BUDGET 30 DAYS BEFORE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. The governor presents his recommended budget 30 days ahead of the new legislative session. Traditionally, this plan reflects the administration s priorities for the coming year, as well as the needs of the state, with funding determined by available and predicted revenue. 3 LEGISLATURE BEGINS BUDGET REVIEW. Lawmakers begin their review of the governor s recommended budget in the days leading up to session, in the form of committee meetings (among legislators) and hearings (open to agency heads and the general public) POLITICO Pro 5

8 4 GOVERNOR DELIVERS STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS. The governor opens the legislative session with a State of the State address, which covers the spending priorities outlined in his recommended budget. 5 HOUSE AND SENATE CREATE BUDGET BILLS. The House and the Senate each prepare their own budget measures, also known as appropriations bills. The bills produced by each chamber will form the basis for budget negotiations. 6 HOUSE AND SENATE RESOLVE BUDGET BILLS IN JOINT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. Budget negotiations extend throughout the legislative session, and any outstanding details are ironed out in a joint conference committee. This final agreement, a compromise between the House and Senate budget bills, will become the General Appropriations Act. It is signed by the leaders of both chambers, and is presented to the governor POLITICO Pro 6

9 7 GOVERNOR REVIEWS THE BUDGET BILL AND SIGNS IT INTO LAW. Florida is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto power, which means he can strike any budget measure included in the General Appropriations Act. Once he has completed his review, he will sign into law the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. To reverse any of the governor s line item vetoes, the House and Senate must reach a two-thirds majority vote. A balanced budget is due at the end of the legislative session POLITICO Pro 7

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