Conference Committee on Appropriations Bill

Legislative Budget Procedures: Deliberation on the Recommended Budget:

Legislative Budget Procedures Executive Summary

Conference Committee on Appropriations Bill

	Free Conference †	Limited Conference †	Bills Rarely or Never Go to Conference	Size		Are All Conferees Also on Appropriations Committee?
State or Other Jurisdiction				H	S	Yes	No
Alabama	x *	---	---	3	3	---	x
Alaska	---	x	---	3	3	x	---
Arizona	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
Arkansas	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
California	---	x *	---	3	3	x *	---
Colorado	x *	---	---	3	3	x	---
Connecticut	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
Delaware	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
Florida	---	x *	---	Varies	---	x
Georgia	x	---	---	3	3	x	---
Hawaii	x	---	---	Varies	x	---
Idaho	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
Illinois	x *	---	---	5	5	---	x
Indiana	x	---	---	2	2	x	---
Iowa	x	---	---	5	5	x *	---
Kansas	---	x	---	3	3	x *	---
Kentucky	x *	x *	---	9	9	---	x
Louisiana	x	---	x	3	3	---	x
Maine	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
Maryland	---	x	---	3	3	x	---
Massachusetts	---	x	---	3	3	---	x
Michigan	---	x	---	3	3	x	---
Minnesota	x	---	---	5	5	x *	---
Mississippi	---	x	---	3	3	x	---
Missouri	---	x *	---	5	5	x	---
Montana	x	---	---	3	3	x	---
Nebraska	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Nevada	---	---	x *	---	---	---	---
New Hampshire	x	---	---	5	3	---	x
New Jersey	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
New Mexico	x *	---	---	3	3	x	---
New York	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
North Carolina	---	x	---	Varies	x	---
North Dakota	x	---	---	3	3	x	---
Ohio	---	x	---	3	3	---	x
Oklahoma	x	---	---	63	48	---	x
Oregon	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
Pennsylvania	x	---	---	3	3	x	---
Rhode Island	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
South Carolina	x *	x *	---	3	3	---	x
South Dakota	---	---	x	3	3	---	x
Tennessee	x *	---	---	Varies	---	x
Texas	---	x *	---	5	5	x	---
Utah	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
Vermont	x	---	---	3	3	x	---
Virginia	---	x	---	4	4	x	---
Washington	x *	x	---	3	3	---	x
West Virginia	x	---	---	Varies	x	---
Wisconsin	---	x	---	Varies	---	x
Wyoming	---	x	---	5	5	---	x
American Samoa	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
District of Columbia	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Guam	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Northern Mariana Islands	x	---	---	11	7	x	---
Puerto Rico	---	---	x	---	---	---	---
U.S. Virgin Islands	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Total: States	21	18	14	---	---	22	15
Total: States and Territories	22	18	15	---	---	23	15

Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, December 1997.

Key:
† = Free Conference--The conference committee may take up any item.
† = Limited Conference--The conference committee is restricted to specific items.
--- = Not applicable
N/R = No response

*Notes:

Alabama--Conferees on the major appropriations bills are free to make any necessary alterations in the bill until all points of contention are resolved.

California--Conference’s decision on each item cannot exceed the higher of the two houses. The total budget can exceed the higher of the houses. In a first conference committee, all conferees also are on the Appropriations Committee. However, if a second conference committee is called, members do not have to be on the Appropriations Committee.

Colorado--Free conferences are allowed provided permission is given by both houses. (Such permission has always been given.)

Florida--Conference committees generally are instructed to deliberate only on those issues that differ from House or Senate. As a rule, new issues are not available for conference committee action.

Illinois--A conference committee may propose whatever it deems necessary, subject to approval by both houses.

Iowa--In rare instances, a non-Appropriations Committee member may serve on a conference committee.

Kansas--On occasion, a non-Appropriations Committee member may serve on a conference committee.

Kentucky--A "limited" conference committee must precede a "free" conference committee. The former in its solution to the disagreement raised by the proposed amendment is restricted to either recommending that the chamber of origin accept the amendment or the second chamber recede from the amendment. A "free" conference committee must address the area of disagreement but has authority to resolve the dispute by adding to, deleting from, or otherwise changing the proposed amendment. However, a free conference committee shall not propose a new appropriation or any above the level originally set by either chamber.

Minnesota--All conferees serve on a budget division, but not necessarily the one for which the conference committee has been established.

Missouri--Conferees can confer only on differing positions in specific areas of the bill.

Nebraska--Unicameral Legislature.

Nevada--Full House and Senate money committees meet in a public forum to resolve differences, then budget bills are drafted.

New Mexico--Conference is "free" in practice; not specified by rule.

South Carolina--"Free" or "limited" is determined by the full legislature. If a "limited" conference committee is established, items must compromise somewhere between the Senate and House versions. If "free" powers are granted by the legislature, then any solution agreed to by House and Senate members may pass.

Tennessee--The conference committee has the authority to consider any amendment to the appropriations bill. However, it generally is limited to amendments passed by House and Senate Finance and Ways and Means committees.

Texas--By simple resolution, the conference committee may make whatever changes the resolution (adopted in both houses) authorizes.

Washington--Conference committee participants may develop an entirely new bill; however, with appropriations bills the final product is generally a selective merging of the Senate and House bills.

Guam--Unicameral Legislature.

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.
Posted March 1999, reviewed December 2003.
Email mailto:statebudget-info@ncsl.org?subject=Legislative Budget Procedures: Conference Committee on Appropriations Bill for more information.
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