Mont. Code Ann. § 17-7-112

(1) It is the duty By August 1, forms necessary for preparation of each department, agency, and office, including the Montana university system, to budget submit the information required under 17-7-111 estimates must be distributed pursuant to the budget director on or before September 1 in the even year preceding the convening 17-7-111(2). of the legislature. The department of justice shall submit information received from counties concerning the state's share of county attorney salaries.

(10) By January 7, recommended changes proposed by a governor-elect must be transmitted to the legislative fiscal analyst and the legislature as provided in 17-7-121.

(2) Between August 15 and September 30 in the year preceding the convening of the legislature, the director must submit each state agency's budget request required under 17-7-111(2) to the legislative fiscal analyst. The transfer of budget information must be done on a schedule mutually agreed to by the budget director and the legislative fiscal analyst in a manner that facilitates an even transfer of budget information during the month of September and that allows each office to maintain a reasonable staff workflow.

(2) (a) Except as provided in subsection (2)(b), by September 1, each agency shall submit the information required under 17-7-111 to the budget director.

(b) By September 1, the consolidated legislative branch shall submit a preliminary draft of the information required under 17-7-111 to the budget director. By October 10, the consolidated legislative branch shall submit the information required under 17-7-111 in final form to the budget director.

(3) If any department, institution, university unit, or agency fails to present By September 1, the information within the time specified in this section, the budget director shall note that fact in submit each state agency's the budget request, except budget the submitted to the budget governor and request for the budget director shall prepare and submit consolidated to legislative branch, required under 17-7-111(3) to the legislative fiscal analyst and the governor by October 30 a analyst. The transfer budget of request budget information must be done on behalf of a schedule mutually agreed to by the department, institution, university unit, or agency, based upon the budget budget director's studies of director the and operations, plans, and needs of the department, institution, university unit,

(4) The proposed pay plan schedule required by 17-7-111(3) must be submitted to By October 10, the budget director shall furnish legislative the legislative fiscal analyst no later than November 15 with a preliminary budget reflecting in the base budget in a format agreed upon by both the year preceding office the of convening of budget and

(5) By October 30, a budget request must be prepared by the budget director and submitted to the legislative fiscal analyst on behalf of any agency that did not present the information required by this section. The budget request must be based upon the budget director's studies of the operations, plans, and needs of the institution, university unit, or agency.

(6) By November 1, the budget director shall furnish the legislative fiscal analyst with a present law base for each agency and a copy of the documents that reflect the anticipated receipts and other means of financing the base budget and present law base for each fiscal year of the ensuing biennium. The material must be in a format agreed upon by both the office of budget and program planning and the legislative fiscal analyst.

(7) By November 12, the budget director shall furnish the legislative fiscal analyst with the documents, in a format agreed upon by both the office of budget and program planning and the legislative fiscal analyst, that reflect expenditures to the second level, as provided in 17-1-102(3), by funding source and detailed by accounting entity.

(8) By November 15, the proposed pay plan schedule and the statewide project budget summary required by 17-7-111(4), a preliminary budget that meets the statutory requirements for submission of the budget to the legislature, and a summary of the preliminary budget designed for distribution to members and members-elect of the legislature must be submitted to the legislative fiscal analyst.

(9) By December 15, the budget director shall submit a preliminary budget to the governor and to the governor-elect, if there is one, as provided in 17-7-121, and shall furnish the legislative fiscal analyst with all amendments to the preliminary budget.

Submission deadline deadlines – budgeting schedule

The following is the schedule for the preparation of a state budget for submission to the legislature convening in any session that will be adopting a state budget: