When will unallotment occur?
No timetable is specified by statute. However, it is typically due when the Commissioner determines that the conditions requiring unallotment have been determined to exist, and the Commissioner has received the Governor’s approval and has consulted the LAC. In the past, however, a common practice of commissioners has been to wait until the legislature has had time to rewrite the budget before unalloting, so there is some discretion in unallotment timing. Also, when and how the Commissioner determines that the appropriate conditions exist is also left to the discretion of the Commissioner. The Governor has begun discussing unallotment with his cabinet and has stated publicly that he hopes to finalize his plans before July 1, the first day of the next fiscal year. It should be noted that some unallotments may occur as early as July 1, 2009, while others may not begin until the following fiscal year (beginning July 1, 2010).
