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Location of Legislative Intent Language

Legislative Budget Procedures: Appropriations Bills and the Budget Document

Legislative Budget Procedures Executive Summary

Location of Legislative Intent Language

Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, December 1997.

Key:
-- = Not applicable
N/R = No response

*Notes:

Alabama--Legislative intent language is included within the subsection that covers a specific agency.

California--Legislative intent language is contained in the report of the conference committee--SRL (supplemental report language).

Connecticut--Legislative intent language is in transcripts of floor action on the budget.

Georgia--Legislative intent language is included in separate sections from the actual appropriation.

Kansas--Legislative intent language generally is not included, but provisio language can be included that could express legislative intent.

Kentucky--Legislative intent language is in the Budget Memorandum Resolution.

Maine--Legislative intent language that is in any other bill or amendment that has a fiscal impact may contain "words expressing legislative intent."

Minnesota--Purpose or intent statements may be included as a section in any bill.

Nebraska--Intent in a section may relate to all or part of items of appropriation contained within the section. Other sections may express broad intent as to all items in all sections.

New York--Legislative intent language is in bills accompanying the appropriations bills and in memoranda accompanying the bills in each house.

Ohio--Legislative intent language is in the revised code sections of the bill and in temporary language following, and part of, the agency appropriations.

Oklahoma--Intent language can be found in appropriation bills or in "companion" bills. Legislative staff documents often are used to support legislative intent that is not included in actual bills.

South Carolina--Legislative intent language also is included in the temporary provisions in a section of the budget bill.

Tennessee--Legislative intent language is in the tape recordings of committee meetings and floor action.

Texas--Legislative intent language is in rider provisions, including a limitation on expenditures that expresses purpose.

Virginia--Only budget language is binding.

West Virginia--In the appropriations bill, legislative intent also is located in an individual account and in the digest of legislative intent of the budget bill, which has almost the force of law. Letters of intent may be used to give additional instructions on digest items if deemed necessary.

Legislative Budget Procedures Executive Summary

Published March 1998; posted January 2004.
The publication to which this table belongs, Legislative Budget Procedures: A Guide to Appropriations and Budget Processes in the States, Commonwealths and Territories, is available wholly and solely online.
Email statebudget-info@ncsl.org for more information.
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