Budget Process

An overview of the steps involved in passing the Arizona state budget.

The Governor and the State Legislature allocate resources based on estimated revenue collection levels through the budgeting process.  The following documents summarize Arizona’s budget process.

Agencies are required to submit operating plans for their agency to OSPB and JLBC Staff by September 1 of each year. A.R.S. § 35-122 states that the agency operating plans shall contain a mission statement, description, and strategic issues.

These plans shall extend for the current fiscal year and the two ensuing fiscal years.

Agencies also need to develop operating plans for each program in the agency. The plans contain a mission statement, description, goals, performance measures, and budgetary data. The performance measures shall emphasize results. The budgetary data shall include funding amounts, regardless of source. This information is provided to OSPB.

OSPB is required to compile the operating plan submissions into the Master List of State Government Programs in January of every even-numbered year, no later than 5 days after the start of the Legislature’s regular session.  OSPB has compiled the document annually since 2008.

Executive Branch budget units are required to develop 5-year strategic plans containing strategic issues, mission statement, description, goals, strategies, and resource assumptions. This plan is to be posted on an agency’s website and submitted to OSPB and JLBC Staff by January 1 yearly.

History of Budget Process Legislation

Below is a list of budget process legislation from previous years, along with links to the bill’s reference in ALIS as well as JLBC Staff summaries for selected bills.