Congressional Budget Process Timetable
First Monday in February: President submits budget to Congress
February 15: Congressional Budget Office submits economic and budget outlook report to Budget Committees
Six weeks after President submits budget: Committees submit views and estimates to Budget Committees
April 1: Senate Budget Committee reports budget resolution
April 15: Congress completes action on budget resolution
May 15: Annual appropriations bills may be considered in the House, even if action on budget resolution has not been completed
June 10: House Appropriations Committee reports last annual appropriations bill
June 15: House completes action on reconciliation legislation (if required by budget resolution)
June 30: House completes action on annual appropriations bills
July 15: President submits mid-session review of his budget to Congress
October 1: Fiscal year begins
Description of the Congressional Budget Process
Tax legislation process flowchart
Budget process flowchart
Senate Budget Committee flowchart of the budget process
CBO paper on budget process
Executive Budget Process Timetable
Calendar Year Prior to the Year in Which Fiscal Year Begins
Spring: OMB issues planning guidance to executive agencies for the budget beginning October 1 of the following year.
Spring and Summer: Agencies begin development of budget requests.
July: OMB issues annual update to Circular A-11, providing detailed instructions for submitting budget data and material for agency budget requests.
September: Agencies submit initial budget requests to OMB.
October-November: OMB staff review agency budget requests in relation to President’s priorities, program performance, and budget constraints.
November-December: President, based on recommendations by the OMB director, makes decisions on agency requests. OMB informs agencies of decisions, commonly referred to as OMB "passback."
December: Agencies may appeal these decisions to the OMB director and in some cases directly to the President.
Calendar Year in Which Fiscal Year Begins
By first Monday in February: President submits budget to Congress.
February-September: Congressional phase. Agencies interact with Congress,justifying and explaining President’s budget.
By July 15: President submits mid-session review to Congress.
August 21 (or within 10 days after approval of a spending bill): Agencies submit apportionment requests to OMB for each budget account.
September 10 (or within 30 days after approval of a spending bill): OMB apportions available funds to agencies by time period, program, project, or activity.
October 1: Fiscal year begins.
Calendar Years in Which Fiscal Year Begins and Ends
October-September: Agencies make allotments, obligate funds, conduct activities, and request supplemental appropriations, if necessary. President may propose supplemental appropriations and impoundments (i.e., deferrals or rescissions) to Congress.
September 30: Fiscal year ends.
Committees
House Budget Committee
Senate Budget Committee: Republican
Senate Budget Committee: Democrat
House Appropriations Committee
Senate Appropriations Committee
Sources:
CRS Report for Congress, Order Code 98-472, July 17, 2003, Bill Heniff Jr., The Congressional Budget Process Timetable.
Office of Management and Budget, Circular No. A-11 (Washington: June 2006), Section 10.5.
