(a) The Governor shall formulate the program and financial plan to be recommended to the Legislature after considering each state agency’s proposed program and financial plan. The Governor’s plan shall include his recommended goals and policies, recommended plans to implement the goals and policies, recommended budget for the succeeding fiscal year and recommended revenue measures to balance the budget.

Terms Used In Alabama Code 41-19-7

  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Joint session: When both chambers of a legislature adopt a concurrent resolution to meet together.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • year: means a calendar year; but, whenever the word "year" is used in reference to any appropriations for the payment of money out of the treasury, it shall mean fiscal year. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(b) The proposed comprehensive program and financial plan shall be presented by the Governor in a message to a joint session of the Legislature on or before the fifth legislative day of each regular session of the Legislature. The message shall be accompanied by an explanatory report which summarizes recommended goals, plans and appropriations. The explanatory report shall be furnished each member of the Legislature and each state agency/department on or before the fifth legislative day of the regular session of the Legislature. The report shall contain the following information:

(1) The coordinate program goals and objectives that the Governor recommends to guide the decisions on the proposed program plans and budget appropriations;
(2) The program and budget recommendations of the Governor for the succeeding fiscal year;
(3) A summary of state revenues in the last fiscal year, a revised estimate for the current fiscal year and an estimate for the succeeding fiscal year;
(4) A summary of expenditures during the last fiscal year, those estimated for the current fiscal year and those recommended by the Governor for the succeeding fiscal year; and
(5) Any additional information which will facilitate understanding of the Governor’s proposed program and financial plan by the Legislature and the public.