View source for Pennsylvania Office of the Budget

{{Short description|PA govt office currently missing from Wikipedia}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name   = Pennsylvania Office of the Budget
|logo          =
|logo_caption  =
|seal          =
|formed        =
|dissolved     =
|superseding   =
|jurisdiction  = [[Government of Pennsylvania|State government of Pennsylvania]]
|headquarters  = 9th Floor, Harristown 2<br>333 Market Street<br>[[Harrisburg]], [[Pennsylvania]]
|region_code   =
|employees     =
|budget        =
|chief1_name   = Uri Monson
|chief1_position = Secretary
|parent_agency =
|child1_agency =
|website    =https://www.budget.pa.gov/
|footnotes     =
}}
The '''Pennsylvania Office of the Budget''' is an executive-level agency in [[Pennsylvania]].<ref name=about>{{cite web| title=About the Office of the Budget| work= www.budget.pa.gov| publisher=[[Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]]| url= https://www.budget.pa.gov/About/OB/Pages/default.aspx#.VgGRnvlVhBc }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dgs.pa.gov/publications/Documents/ThePennsylvaniaManual_vol125_web.pdf |title=The Pennsylvania Manual |website=dgs.pa.gov |page=4-12 }}</ref> The office is tasked with developing and managing a balanced financial plan for the commonwealth, aligned with the governor's policies and priorities, while ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. It oversees the annual state budget preparation and implementation, operating through the Governor's Budget Office and the Office of Comptroller Operations. Additionally, it provides administrative services such as budget management, purchasing, and payment services to the commonwealth's executive offices, and manages travel operations for all commonwealth business travelers since 2011.<ref name=about />
==History==
In 1923, Governor [[Gifford Pinchot]] during his first term gave an inaugural address pledging to organize state government to enhance efficiency and economy.<ref name=challenges>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/exploringpennsyl00stev/page/403/mode/2up |title=Exploring Pennsylvania: its geography, history, and government |last=Stevens |first=Sylvester Kirby |date=1957 |chapter=New Challenges to Democratic Government |publisher=[[Harcourt (publisher)|Harcourt, Brace & World]] }}</ref>{{rp|403}} His plans were eventually carried out in an act called the Administrative Code of 1923<ref name=challenges/>{{rp|403}} which formalized the state budget process and required the [[Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania|Secretary of the Commonwealth]] to prepare the budget.<ref name=sentinel>{{cite web |url=https://www.pachamber.org/media/13729/a_brief_history_of_the_governors_budget_address/ |title=A Brief History of the Governor's Budget Address |publisher=The Sentinel: A weekly publication of the Pennsylvania Chamber |access-date=May 17, 2024 }}</ref> In 1925, Governor Pinchot gave the first budget address to the [[Pennsylvania General Assembly]]<ref name=sentinel/> and these addresses continue to this day. During the administration of Pinchot's successor, Governor [[John Stuchell Fisher|John S. Fisher]], a budget secretary was provided to help with state budget preparation.<ref name=challenges/>{{rp|404}} The ''Office of the Budget'' was formally established within the Governor’s Office by the Administrative Code of 1929.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/US/HTM/1929/0/0175..HTM?84 |title=The Administrative Code of 1929 |website=legis.state.pa.us }}</ref> Constitutional changes in 1959 mandated annual sessions of the General Assembly, ending Pennsylvania's two-year budget cycle. The Code was revised again in 1961, establishing annual budgets and setting the fiscal year to begin on July 1.<ref name=sentinel/>
==Budget impasses==
Under current law, the governor must submit the budget to the General Assembly by the first full week of February each year or by the first full week of March if it is the governor's first term,<ref name=sentinel/> and Pennsylvania is legally obligated to pass a balanced budget by June 30 each year. However, it has passed 13 late budgets since 2003 including four impasses that went over 100 days.<ref name=SpotlightPA>{{cite news |url=https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/07/pennsylvania-budget-impasse-shapiro-wolf-rendell-corbett-legislature/ |title=What Pa.'s past budget impasses can tell us about the current standoff |date=July 17, 2023 |last1= Caruso |first1=Stephen |last2=Renno |first2=DaniRae |publisher=[[Spotlight PA]] }}</ref>
The impact of budget delays varies annually, but prolonged [[Pennsylvania budget impasses|budget impasses]] can disrupt state operations significantly. Historically, Pennsylvania has experienced numerous late budgets, affecting local governments, nonprofits, and public schools that depend on state funding. During past impasses, schools canceled programs, state-subsidized pre-K programs shut down, and students at state-related universities faced delays in receiving their in-state discounts.<ref name=SpotlightPA/> State employees, however, continue to be paid during impasses due to a 2009 state [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania|Supreme Court]] ruling.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2009/12/pennsylvania_supreme_court_sid.html |title=Pennsylvania Supreme Court sides with workers on payless paydays |last=Thompson |first=Charles |date=December 29, 2009 |publisher=Penn Live [[Patriot News]] }}</ref> While this ensures that state services like prisons and parks remain operational, it has shifted the financial strain to local levels. Former governors [[Ed Rendell]] and [[Tom Wolf]] both faced lengthy budget impasses but noted that the political and practical pressures differ depending on various factors including government division and financial deficits.<ref name=SpotlightPA/> The most recent impasse was a monthlong delay in 2023 during Governor [[Josh Shapiro]]'s first term.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/pa-budget-impasse-josh-shapiro-kim-ward-vouchers-20230803.html |title=Pa. state budget impasse ends as Gov. Josh Shapiro signs $45.5 billion budget into law |last= McGoldrick |first=Gillian |date=August 3, 2023 |publisher=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] }}</ref>
==See also==
*[[List of Pennsylvania state agencies]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://www.budget.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx Pennsylvania Office of the Budget]
*[https://www.budget.pa.gov/Publications%20and%20Reports/CommonwealthBudget/Pages/default.aspx Current and past Pennsylvania Commonwealth budgets]
{{Pennsylvania cabinet agencies}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:State agencies of Pennsylvania]]
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