How is Virginias budget adopted?
Virginia has a biennial budget system, which means it adopts a two-year budget. The biennial budget is enacted into law in even-numbered years, and amendments to it are enacted in odd-numbered years. (For example, the budget for the current biennium was adopted by the 2006 General Assembly and was amended by the 2007 General Assembly.) Developing the Commonwealth’s budget is a process which takes many months and involves many participants, from the public to state agencies to the legislature. The process includes five distinct phases: (1) Agency budget preparation phase. State agencies analyze their programs and needs through a strategic planning process which includes a review of their mission and how well they serve their customers through customer satisfaction surveys or other methods of public input. Based on this analysis, agencies prepare and submit their requests for funding to the Department of Planning and Budget (DPB). Agencies generally present their proposals to DPB in the
