The Basics
Every two years, Texas state agencies request funding from the Legislature. That request is called the Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR). Although Texas's legislative session begins in January of each odd-numbered year, state agencies normally submit their LARs about five months earlier, in August of each even-numbered year.
After agencies submit their LARs, the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) analyzes the request and recommends a budget. After hearings and markup in both the House and the Senate, a conference committee resolves any differences between the two bill versions. If both houses pass the appropriations bill, it then goes to the Comptroller for certification and the Governor for signing.
Here, you can find TIDC's current and previous LARs, as well as some additional resources regarding legislative appropriations requests.
Learn More about the Texas Budgeting Process
The Texas budgeting process can seem complicated, but there are several good resources for understanding the process:
- Legislative Budget Board (LBB website)
- Budget 101 (Describes the budget process in summary and in detail)
- Texas Budget Cycle (Graphic representation of the budget cycle)
