Leaders of the Legislature say they can still pass a budget before the end of May, but it could be close.

A budget memo released by House Speaker Daniel Perez says budget chiefs for the House and Senate will convene for a final conference meeting on Tuesday, May 26. House Budget Chair Lawrence McClure and Senate Appropriations Chair Ed Hooper will meet at 8 a.m. and hold talks “until completion” of the state budget.

That should leave time for Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton to approve a budget and have the final conference report complete in time for a three-day holding period required by state law.

“The Conference Report for the General Appropriations Act will hopefully be placed on the desk on Tuesday, initiating the constitutionally required 72-hour cooling-off period,” the memo states.

That would allow the House to convene on Friday, May 29, at 10 a.m.to debate a final budget, including any implementing bills, conforming bills and a connected tax package. When the measures are then handed over and passed by the Senate, both chambers will, at last, adjourn and call Sine Die for the ongoing Special Session.

And the budget should be complete without compromising the Memorial Day holiday or reaching into the weekend.

“We will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available,” Perez said.

A May 29 approval means the Legislature will complete its only constitutionally required duty 77 days after the March 13 scheduled end of the Legislative Session. But it will also be more than a month to spare before the July 1 beginning of a new fiscal year for the state.

This is the second year in a row when contentious negotiations between the House and Senate have resulted in a lengthy extension of deliberations. A state budget was not passed in 2025 until June 16. But lawmakers did get a head start with the Regular Session for 2026 starting in January instead of March.

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