HB 2: General Appropriations Act

This is the primary state budget bill, incorporating most of the spending the Legislature will authorize for state agencies. As such, it follows a slightly different process than other bills, with joint appropriations subcommittees including members from the House and Senate holding numerous hearings about its contents early in the legislative session.

While the budget is high-profile legislation that sometimes ends up caught in procedural turmoil, House Bill 2 is generally voted on by the full House Appropriations Committee before being forwarded for debate on the House Floor. Once passed by the House, a similar process is generally repeated in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee and on the Senate floor.