Overview
The Governor's Executive Budget preparation begins in the spring of even-numbered years. The Budget Division requests State agencies to prepare and submit budget requests on or before September 1. The Budget Director reviews past budgets, examines requests and meets with agency heads through December to establish budget recommendations that will be acceptable to the Governor. Agencies are required to estimate their needs three and one-half years ahead of the end of the biennial cycle period. The Budget Director may also establish agency guidelines based on revenue limitations and/or the Governor’s priorities or directives for the upcoming biennium.
To determine how much revenue will be available for the biennial budget cycle, the Budget Division and state agencies use the official forecast of future state General Fund revenues. The forecast is provided by the State’s Economic Forum (a panel of five economic and taxation experts from the private sector). All agencies of the state including the Governor and Nevada Legislature are required to use the Forum’s forecast, which is provided shortly before the beginning of a new legislative session and again towards the end of the session.
Preliminary budgets for agencies are determined and then approved by the Governor. The Governor's Executive Budget is a public document but remains confidential until it is submitted to the Legislature and is presented during the Governor’s State of the State address. Upon legislative review (which includes revisions) and final approval, the biennial budget is presented to the Governor for signature. It is now referred to as the Legislatively Approved Budget and implementation is the responsibility of the executive branch.