Balanced Budget Amendment

State Legislative Procedures for Considering Proposed Amendments to the U.S. Constitution

The Balanced Budget Amendment: The Road to Ratification

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware
Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky
Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan
Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana
Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey
New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota
Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania
Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota
Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia
West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Alabama

Procedural/Vote Requirements: 3/5 majority of members elected to each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Rules or discretion of presiding officer; House: Discretion of the Speaker

Alaska

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority of full membership of each house
Probable Committee Referral: Discretion of presiding officers

Arizona

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority vote of each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Most likely Appropriations in both houses

Arkansas

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority
Probable Committee Referral: State Agency & Government Affairs

California

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Constitutional majority of full membership in each house. (Senate: 21 votes; Assembly: 41 votes)
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Rules, Budget & Fiscal Review; Assembly: Appropriations (Fiscal Review); Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments; policy standing committee that has jurisdiction

Colorado

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Senate: Majority of members elected; House: 2/3 of members elected
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Joint Budget Committee or State Affairs; House: State Affairs

Connecticut

Probable Committee Referral: Joint Standing Committee on Government Administration and Elections

Delaware

Procedural/Vote Requirements: 2/3 of members elected to each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Executive; House: Judiciary or Administration

Florida

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Handled by concurrent resolution, which requires a simple majority of each house for adoption
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Judiciary; House: General Government (Fiscal)

Georgia

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Senate: 2/3 majority

Hawaii

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Handled by concurrent resolution, which requires a majority vote in both chambers
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Judiciary or Transportation & Government Affairs; House: Judiciary or Finance

Idaho

Procedural/Vote Requirements: By joint resolution, which requires a 2/3 vote of the entire membership of both bodies.
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: State Affairs

Illinois

Procedural/Vote Requirements: By joint resolution passed by 3/5 vote from both chambers
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Executive Committee; House: Executive Committee

Indiana

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Constitutional majority of each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Judiciary or Rules & Legislative Procedure; House: Judiciary

Iowa

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Constitutional majority of each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: State Government or Judiciary; House: State Government

Kansas

Procedural/Vote Requirements: 2/3 of members elected to each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Determined by Senate president; House: Federal & State Affairs or Taxation

Kentucky

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Joint resolution passed by a majority of members elected in each chamber (but not subject to a gubernatorial veto)
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: State Government Committee

Louisiana

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority vote
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Finance; House: Appropriations

Maine

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority vote of the members present in each house
Probable Committee Referral: Joint Standing Committee on State & Local Government

Maryland

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Constitutional majority in each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Budget & Taxation; House: Appropriations

Massachusetts

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority vote of the members present and voting in each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: House: Committee on Federal Financial Assistance

Michigan

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Joint resolution adopted by majority vote of members elected and serving in each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Government Operations, Appropriations or Local, Urban & State Affairs; House: House Oversight, Appropriations, or Judiciary

Minnesota

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority vote in each chamber.
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Judiciary; State Government Finance, Rules; House: Judiciary, Ways & Means, or Rules

Mississippi

Procedural/Vote Requirements: House: Concurrent resolution adopted by a majority vote
Probable Committee Referral: House: Constitution

Missouri

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Concurrent resolution by constitutional majority vote of both chambers (82 House; 18 Senate)
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Ways & Means; House: Budget or Federal-State Relations

Montana

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Approval of a joint resolution by a majority vote in each house (not sent to the governor for approval or veto)
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Judiciary; House: State/Federal Relations Committee

Nebraska

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Constitutional majority in the chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Executive Board (management committee)

Nevada

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Approval of a joint resolution passed by a constitutional majority of the members elected
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Finance Committee; Assembly: Ways & Means Committee

New Hampshire

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Senate: Majority vote
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Finance

New Jersey

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Concurrent resolution passed by majority of all the members of each house
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: State Government; General Assembly: State Government

New Mexico

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority vote of each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Rules or Finance; House: Taxation & Revenue or Appropriations & Finance

New York

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority vote in each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Finance; House: Judiciary

North Carolina

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Simple majority

North Dakota

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority of members elected to each house
Probable Committee Referral: House or Senate Judiciary

Ohio

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Absolute majority in both houses
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Finance; House: Finance & Appropriations

Oklahoma

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority of the members elected to each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Finance or Rules

Oregon

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority of the members elected to each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: House: Judiciary or State & Federal Affairs; Senate: Judiciary; Finance & Tax; or Government Operations

Pennsylvania

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority of the members elected to each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Rules; House: Judiciary, Finance or Intergovernmental Affairs

Rhode Island

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Simple majority of each chamber; submitted to governor for signature or veto
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Judiciary; House: Judiciary

South Carolina

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority vote
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Judiciary

South Dakota

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority of members elected to each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate and House: State Affairs

Tennessee

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Concurrent resolution passed by a majority vote in each chamber. Resolution is sent to the governor for signature, but it cannot be vetoed.
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Finance, Ways & Means

Texas

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Joint resolution passed by majority vote of members in each chamber
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Finance; House: State Affairs

Utah

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority of members elected to each chamber (Senate 15; House: 38)
Probable Committee Referral: State & Local Affairs or Revenue & Taxation

Vermont

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Joint resolution adopted by simple majority in each house
Probable Committee Referral: Government Operations, or Senate: Finance and House: Ways & Means

Virginia

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Senate: 21 votes; House: 51 votes
Probable Committee Referral: Senate and House: Privileges & Elections

Washington

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Joint memorial resolution passed by majority in each chamber (governor's approval not required)
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Ways & Means

West Virginia

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Concurrent resolution adopted by majority vote of each house
Probable Committee Referral: Senate: Judiciary; House: Constitutional Revision

Wisconsin

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Joint resolution adopted by majority vote in each house
Probable Committee Referral: Determined by presiding officer

Wyoming

Procedural/Vote Requirements: Majority vote of both houses; sent to governor for approval
Probable Committee Referral: Rules, Judiciary or Appropriations

The Balanced Budget Amendment: The Road to Ratification

Posted February 1997, reviewed December 2003
Email statebudget-info@ncsl.org for more information.
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