AI-assisted research summary: The governor must prepare the budget with specified financial content, may have to make deficit or surplus recommendations to the legislature, may not use bonded indebtedness for operating appropriations, and the budget must be available in print and electronic form.
The budget shall consist of 3 parts, the nature and contents of which shall be as follows: I. Part I shall consist of the governor's budget message, which shall set forth: (a) The governor's program for meeting all the expenditure needs of the government for each of the years of the biennium to which the budget relates, indicating the classes of funds, general or special, from which such appropriations are to be made and the means through which such expenditures shall be financed; (b) Financial statements giving in summary form: (1) The condition of the treasury at the end of the last completed fiscal year, the estimated condition of the treasury at the end of the year in progress, and the estimated condition of the treasury at the end of each of the 2 years to which the budget relates if the budget proposals are put into effect; (2) Statements showing the bonded indebtedness of the state, debt authorized and unissued, debt redemption and interest requirements, and condition of the sinking funds, if any; (3) A summary of appropriations recommended for each of the years of the biennium to which the budget relates for each department and for the state as a whole in comparison with actual expenditures for the last completed fiscal year and estimated expenditures for the year in progress; (4) A summary of the revenue estimated to be received by the state during each of the 2 years of the biennium to which the budget relates, classified according to sources in comparison with the actual revenue received by the state during the last completed fiscal year and estimated income during the year in progress; and (5) Such other financial statements, data, and comments as in the governor's opinion are necessary or desirable in order to make known in all practicable detail the financial condition and operations of the state and the effect that the budget as proposed will have on such condition and operations. (6) [Repealed.] (c) If the estimated revenues of the state for the ensuing biennium as set forth in the budget on the basis of existing laws, plus the estimated amounts in the treasury at the close of the year in progress available for expenditure in the ensuing biennial period is less than the aggregate recommended for the ensuing biennial period as contained in the budget, the governor shall make recommendations to the legislature in respect to the manner in which such deficit shall be met, whether by an increase in the state tax or the imposition of new taxes, increased rates on existing taxes, or otherwise; and if the aggregate of such estimated revenues, plus estimated balances in the treasury is greater than such recommended appropriations for the ensuing biennial period, the governor shall make such recommendations in reference to the application of such surplus to the reduction of debt or otherwise, to the reduction in taxation, or to such other action as in the governor's opinion is in the interest of the public welfare. The governor's operating budget shall not use bonded indebtedness to fund operating appropriations. Nothing contained herein shall prohibit the use of projected lapses in determining compliance with this section. II. Part II shall present in detail recommendations for appropriations to meet the expenditure needs of the state from each general class of funds, classified by departments, and indicating for each the appropriations recommended for meeting the cost of administration, operation, and maintenance of such departments. III. Part III shall embrace a draft or drafts of appropriation bills having for their purpose to give legal sanction to the appropriations recommended to be made in parts I and II. Such appropriation bills shall indicate the funds, general or special, from which such appropriations shall be paid, but such appropriations need not be in greater detail than to indicate the total appropriation to be made for administration, operation, and maintenance of each department for each fiscal year of the biennium. III-a. The governor shall comply with RSA 9:9-b in the formulation of the budget for the ensuing biennium. IV. The budget shall be available in printed format and at least one electronic computer file format in common use at the time. Source: Source. RL 23:3. RSA 9:3. 1957, 173:1, 2. 1998, 222:1; 313:12. 2000, 296:2. 2008, 237:4, eff. July 1, 2009.