Family Connection Partnership

Understanding the State Budget Process

Understanding the state budget process is critical to being an effective advocate for funding for children and families. Funding for programs and services that impact families are often underfunded due to two simple facts: children don't vote and families are often too busy to try to influence public policy. Your voice as an advocate for children and families can be influential and is vital for the continued improvement of results for Georgia's families.

Know the key players

Governor and the state Office of Planning and Budget (OPB)

Legislative Budget Office (LBO)

House and Senate Appropriations Committees

Budget officials within each State Department

Understand the timeline

Revenue estimate made; requests and instructions given to state agencies

Submission of agency budgets to OPB by September 1

OPB recommendations to Governor

Governor finalizes budget by December 1

Governor presents budget to General Assembly in early January

Legislative appropriation process begins in the House; House and Senate hold hearings and eventually pass budget bill

Governor approves/disapproves appropriations bill

Annual operating budgets begin July 1

Good times to try to influence an appropriation are when agencies are deciding what to recommend to the Governor; when OPB is working on the budget for the Governor; and when the budget is presented in the General Assembly

Understand the relationship between policy and budget

Find out what budget priorities or restrictions are driving policy

Emphasize program effectiveness and cost effectiveness

Have short- and long-term goals and strategies

Be realistic

Understand results-based budgeting: have local results and try to put a dollar figure on the cost of failure (how much expeditures are needed for treatment for conditions that could have been prevented, e.g., repeat teen birth, jailing a child, foster care)