On January 22, 2020, the Governor filed the House 2 budget recommendation for FY21 with the General Court. As of the date of this bulletin, neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate have enacted budget recommendations for FY21. It is expected that the General Court will enact and the Governor will sign into law an interim budget authorizing certain spending prior to the enactment of the FY21 GAA.
In the absence of FY21 budget recommendations from the House of Representations and the Senate, when managing activities under an interim budget for FY21, departments should favor the more conservative of the spending recommendations submitted in House 2 and the spending authorized in the fiscal year 2020 (FY20) GAA. Departments should consult with the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F) prior to making significant commitments which would exceed the lower of the relevant House 2 spending recommendation or FY20 GAA spending authorization.
Should the House of Representatives enact an FY21 budget recommendation, in the absence of a budget recommendation from the Senate, departments should favor the more conservative of the spending recommendations submitted in House 2 and the spending recommendations enacted by the House of Representatives. Departments should consult with A&F prior to making significant commitments which would exceed the lower of the relevant House 2 or House of Representatives spending recommendations.
Should the House of Representatives and the Senate enact FY21 budget recommendations, in the absence of a report of a Conference Committee on the budget, and where the relevant appropriations and other provisions enacted by the two chambers differ materially, departments must act under their best judgment regarding the likely resolution by a Conference Committee, but should favor the most conservative reasonable prediction of the outcome. Departments should consult with A&F prior to making significant commitments which would exceed the lowest of the relevant House 2, House of Representatives, or Senate spending recommendations.
This Administrative Bulletin published by the Executive Office for Administration and Finance shall be effective as of the date specified below:
Michael J. Heffernan, Secretary
Effective Date: June 26, 2020