In The Loop- November 15, 2024
State Agency Legislative Proposals and What They Could Mean to You
As a reminder, each year every state agency releases their top agency priorities for the session beforehand and spends the weeks leading up to the session advocating for their ideas within the appropriate legislative committees.
Here’s a 101 on what to expect when these proposals are released in the next few weeks:
Q: What are state agency legislative proposals?
A: Legislative proposals from a state agency are essentially a “wish list” of policy ideas they hope the legislature will take-up on their behalf. Included in each proposal is a title, proposal summary, proposal background, reason for the request, past legislative versions of this proposal and any fiscal impact it may have on the state budget (both positive and negative).
Q: Why are these shared in advance of the legislative session?
A: Having these proposals available streamlines the Office of Policy Management (Governor’s budget office) review process for what they should support on behalf of state agencies and assists legislators with a better understanding of the budget implications tied to these proposals.
Q: Does a particular legislative proposal mean the issue is likely to pass? Can they be changed before being filed as an actual bill?
A: The short answers are maybe and yes (if you act quickly). Given the virtual nature of the legislative session, getting ahead of things in a timely way and working with state agencies is more important than ever. If the shared legislative proposals impact your business or service, we strongly recommend being engaged early!
Q: What should I expect if S&L sends me a legislative proposal that affects me?
A: We will be able to walk through the recommended next steps once these proposals are released. If there’s a proposal specifically tied to your area of interest, we will pull together a virtual meeting with that state agency.