In a release today, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced an agreement on a schedule for joint legislative budget deadlines.

The dates are as follows:

On or before:
February 28
Senate/Assembly Fiscal Committee Economic & Revenue Reports Released

February 28
Consensus Economic and Forecasting Conference

March 1
Revenue Consensus Report

March 15
Senate & Assembly budget actions

March 15
Joint Senate/Assembly budget conference committees commence

March 28
Final Report of Joint Conference Committees

March 28 - 31
Joint Legislative budget bills taken up by Senate & Assembly

"I am pleased that we are returning to the joint, public budget negotiation process that is set in law," said Skelos. "This model resulted in passage of an on-time budget in 2008 and I’m hopeful it will help us enact a budget by April 1 that meets the fiscal challenges we face and addresses the needs of the people."

"The Legislature has already moved forward with an aggressive schedule of joint public hearings on the governor’s proposed budget. The schedule we are unveiling today provides a clear roadmap for the path we will take as a collective body to achieve a sound budget for New York State that recognizes the divergent needs of our communities and the fiscal reality of our state," said Silver.