Trustees approve operating and capital budgets in two-year cycles, with annual recommendations to the governor and Legislature.  While Trustees are authorized to spend Trust income without Legislative appropriation, they are required by statute to recommend to the governor and Legislature each year operating and capital budgets for state General Funds to support the Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program. The governor must then propose and the Legislature must pass a separate bill, known as the Mental Health Budget Bill, that includes budgets for Trust funds and state General Funds and is limited to appropriations for the  Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program.

Trust recommendations for the annual Mental Health Budget Bill are due to the governor on Sept. 15 for the following state fiscal year. The Trust's budget priorities focus on input from the Trust Focus Area work groups, state agencies and the Trust's partner boards.  The Trust budget process typically begins early in the summer when The Trust sends the advisory boards a Request for Recommendations (RFR). Trustees review these recommendations in late summer and make their funding decisions in time to meet the Sept. 15 deadline. 

The Trust's budget process is illustrated in the following diagram.