State Sen. Ryan Aument (R-36) on Friday said that he intends to reintroduce legislation that would establish a biennial budget cycle in Pennsylvania.
“Through a constitutional amendment, this proposal would require the enactment of a budget covering a two-year period,” the Republican Caucus Whip wrote in a Senate cosponsorship memorandum published Aug. 9. “Such a proposal would increase efficiency and productivity in state government and encourage long-range planning among state agencies and other entities receiving state appropriations.”
Aument also pointed out that a two-year budget cycle would help to facilitate comprehensive planning by incorporating a long-term perspective and allowing for increased predictability in the budget process.
“This proposal would put into place a commitment to move expenditures and policy in a given direction for a longer period of time and reduce costs related to both time and resources,” his memo states. “Further, such a process would allow for in-depth review and evaluation of state programs and encourage outcome-focused budgeting.”
The senator said that the state’s current budget process is time-consuming, repetitive, and inefficient.
“Repeating this fight every year only contributes to the complexity of the budget process and encourages delay,” his memo states. “Please join me in supporting this proposal to reform the budget process.”