During the Legislative “off season,” appropriations subcommittees are hard at work diving into the nitty-gritty, budgetary details that no General Session allows enough time to explore. These deep dives are organized under the Accountable Budget Process, a statutory requirement set in motion by H.J.R. 18 from the 2019 General Session. This process allows subcommittees to consider every program in the state budget over a five-year cycle.
Outcomes of the Accountable Budget Process may include budget adjustments, program eliminations, reporting requirements, improved performance measures, fee changes, or recommendations for statute amendments1. By undertaking the process during the interim, appropriations subcommittees can be better prepared for changes that are needed during the General Session.
Starting in the 2021 interim, Public Education was excused from the Accountable Budget Process for the purpose of evaluating the funding structure for public education, with specific study requirements outlined in statute. This alternate review was repealed January 1st, 2024. Because the five year cycle for the Accountable Budget Process will restart in the 2025 interim, the Executive Appropriations Committee approved an additional year of focused study for the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
2024 Accountable Budget Process Outcomes
The table below lists actions taken by each appropriations subcommittee. (Mobile users may view this table better in landscape orientation.)
| Appropriations Subcommittee | Agencies Reviewed | Recommendations | Committee Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business, Economic Development, and Labor | Labor Commission, and Tax Commission | Recommendations Sheet | Approved all motions except 5 and 6. |
| Executive Offices and Criminal Justice | Non-Criminal Justice Programs | Recommendations Sheet | Approved all motions except 14 and 24. |
| Higher Education | Utah Board of Higher Education | Voting Outcomes Summary | Actions reflected in the linked document. |
| Infrastructure and General Government | TIF Capacity Program, and Internal Service Funds | Voting Outcomes Summary | Actions reflected in the linked document. |
| Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality | State Parks, Outdoor Recreation, Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office, School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration | Voting Outcomes Summary | Actions reflected in the linked document. |
| Public Education | State and Local Public Education Budget Process, and Property Tax Equalization | Recommendations Sheet | Approved all motions. |
| Social Services | Medicaid Services, Welfare Assistance, Primary and Family Care | Voting Outcomes Summary | Actions reflected in the linked document. |
Just as no two budgets are the same, every accountable budget process is unique. Outcomes reflect coordinated work by agencies, legislative staff, and subcommittee members to ensure that public resources are being used prudently and follow legislative intent.
- Appropriations subcommittees cannot open bill files, so recommendations for statute changes will typically take the form of a committee considering whether to support that a change to state code is made. ↩︎