Majority Leader Skelos and Speaker Silver Announce Joint Legislative Budget Schedule

Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today announced an agreement on a joint legislative budget schedule that, for the first time, sets deadlines that lead to an early adoption of a state budget.  

“This schedule sets out a plan to adopt a new budget more than a week before the April 1st deadline,” Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos said. “This is another example of how the Senate, Assembly and Governor are working together to make state government function and planning for another early budget.”

“As the Legislature continues its extensive joint legislative budget hearings to examine the governor’s proposed budget, we are announcing today the joint legislative budget schedule that will follow the conclusion of those hearings.  This schedule, reached by agreement of both houses of the Legislature, establishes a process to ensure the adoption of a budget that is fiscally responsible, on time and meets the needs of the people,” said Silver (D-Manhattan).

“This process provides for openness and transparency in budget discussions and will allow us to work together to deliver a fiscally responsible and early budget,” said State Senator John A. DeFrancisco (R-C-I, Syracuse), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. 

“This schedule identifies the steps the Legislature will follow to collectively reach an agreement on the budget.  It also gives legislators and the public an opportunity to participate in the budget making process so the state can more effectively adopt a financial plan that is prudent,” said Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell, Jr. (D-Manhattan).

The agreed-to legislative budget schedule for 2012 is as follows:

On or before

February 29 Joint Revenue Forecasting Conference

February 29 Senate/Assembly Fiscal Committee Economic & Revenue Reports Released

March 1 Revenue Consensus Report 

March  12         Senate & Assembly budget actions 

March 13     Joint Senate/Assembly budget conference committees commence

March 19-20       Final Report of Joint Conference Committee    

March 19-22 Joint Legislative budget bills taken up by Senate & Assembly