5 things to know about Pennsylvania’s budget timeline

With a June 30 deadline just weeks away, budget season in Harrisburg is heating up as lawmakers, lobbyists and others scramble to secure their top legislative priorities. 

Pennsylvania’s budget process can be fraught with confusion and complications, delays and debacles, so City & State has put together the following guide on how the state budget process works and what to look out for this summer. 

The governor’s budget address 

The governor’s annual budget address, given during a joint session of the General Assembly each year, gives the commonwealth’s chief executive a chance to outline their priorities and wishlist items for the year, and serves as the ceremonial kick-off of budget season in Harrisburg. This year, Gov. Josh Shapiro gave his budget address on Feb. 4, when he pitched lawmakers on a $51.5 billion spending plan. 

The governor is required by law to present an executive budget proposal to the General Assembly no later than the first full week in February, though there is an exemption for a governor’s first full year in office, when the budget address is typically given in the first week of March. 

Budget hearings and closed-door negotiations

In the Pennsylvania General Assembly, lawmakers on the House and Senate Appropriations committees hold a series of budget hearings following the governor’s annual budget address in February; the hearings offer an opportunity for lawmakers to scrutinize the governor’s executive proposal and get more details on some of the proposal’s finer points. 

After hearings, the state budget is typically negotiated behind closed doors, as legislative caucuses and the governor’s office work behind the scenes to finalize it. 

The budget bill gets introduced

In recent years, most budget legislation has originated in the House Appropriations Committee or the Senate Appropriations Committee, where lawmakers often amend existing bills to include new language that reflects an agreed-upon budget product. 

After that, budget legislation has to win the approval of committee members, both chambers of the General Assembly and, ultimately, the governor to become law. 

Code bills vs. the general appropriations bill

Lawmakers have two different types of budget legislation to pass – a General Appropriations bill that outlines specific allocations and spending figures, and budget-enacting bills known as code bills that provide instructions for spending state dollars – and often include other policy changes sought by state officials. 

State lawmakers face a June 30 budget deadline

Pennsylvania’s fiscal year spans from July 1 to June 30, and Pennsylvania lawmakers typically strive to complete the state budget by June 30. However, that doesn’t always happen, as evidenced by recent years where state lawmakers and the governor have failed to complete the state budget on time. 

Last year’s budget was enacted in July and had a minimal impact on state services. In more extreme cases, lawmakers and the governor have failed to reach agreement on a final budget product for as long as nine months, like in 2016, when then-Gov. Tom Wolf and lawmakers sparred over education spending and other issues.