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WHERE DOES
Certifying the 2018-2019 Texas State Budget
Certifying the 2018-2019 Texas State Budget: Why It Matters (PDF)
Why it matters:
Certifying the 2018-2019 Texas State Budget
Comptroller Glenn Hegar certified that the Legislature’s new budget is within the Texas Constitution’s “pay-as-you-go” spending limit and the Comptroller’s revenue estimate.*
The budget will direct state spending for fiscal 2018 and 2019. The budget cannot go into effect without the Comptroller’s certification.
For additional details on the budget process in Texas, please see the Texas Senate Research Center’s publication, Budget 101: A Guide to the Budget Process in Texas (PDF) .
June 1, 2017 Date the Comptroller certified the budget.
THE BIG NUMBER:
$216.8
Billion
That’s how much Texas state government will spend over the next two years.
$7,781
The 2018-2019 budget includes
$106.7
Billion
in General Revenue spending.
WHERE DOES
THE MONEY COME FROM?
- State taxes
- Federal grants, allocations, payments and reimbursements
- Fees, fines, trust fund revenue, bond proceeds and other nontax revenue
*The Legislature can make appropriations in excess of anticipated revenue only in the case of an emergency with a four-fifths majority of both houses.
The Process:
The budget process can be divided into four major phases, each involving numerous discrete steps:
- Planning and proposal
- Legislative action
- Review and approval by the Comptroller and the Governor
- Implementation and monitoring
Budget Highlights:
| Description | 2016-17 Budget (in billions) | 2018-19 Budget (in billions) |
|---|---|---|
| Public Education | $58.4 | $59.9 |
| Higher Education | $19.9 | $20.5 |
| Medicaid | $61.2 | $62.4 |
| Transportation | $23.1 | $26.6 |
| Teacher Retirement System | $4.3 | $5.2 |
| Behavioral Health | $3.6 | $4.0 |
| Border Security | $0.8 | $0.8 |
Source: Legislative Budget Board
Summary of Conference Committee Report for House Bill 1: Appropriations for the 2018-19 Biennium (PDF).