As we finish up the 2026 interim season, you might find yourself thinking ahead to consider your priorities for the upcoming General Session. But before we get caught up stressing about the future, let’s take a moment to consider what the Legislature accomplished during the 2026 interim Accountable Budget Process.
The primary purpose of the Accountable Budget Process is to ensure that once every five years, each agency and line item undergo an in-depth review. The Legislature established the Accountable Budget process with H.J.R. 18 (2019 General Session) to empower each appropriations subcommittee to evaluate 20% of its budget with a zero-based budget approach each interim.
The Accountable Budget Process also provides additional benefits—the process allows the Legislature to direct the Legislative Fiscal Analyst to include actions taken to modify that 20% of the budget in each subcommittee’s base budget bill for each General Session, once approved in the December Executive Appropriations Committee meeting. This process allows the subcommittees to focus more time on the other 80% of their budget during the General Session.
So, what did the subcommittees achieve during the 2026 interim? Click here to explore the actions taken by each appropriations subcommittee during the October meeting and see the statewide ABP list below.
