In California, the policy bill process is a key pathway for shaping state policy, and operates in tandem with the state budget process to move legislative proposals from concept to reality.
In an effort to build an understanding of how these two processes are related, the California Budget & Policy Center has created a new resource modeled on our popular guides to the state budget process and county budget process. Dollars and Democracy: Understanding How the State Budget Process Relates to the Policy Bill Process an overview of both processes, reviews key events and deadlines, and discusses the factors that help to determine whether a proposal moves through the Legislature on the policy bill “track” or the budget track (or both). This guide also highlights the differences between — and the unique advantages of — the state budget process and policy bill process.
