Terms

The Automated Clearing House (ACH) is the primary electronic funds transfer system used by agencies to make payments and collect funds.

Authorization by the legislature to spend money from the state treasury for purposes established in law. Appropriations typically limit expenditures to a specific amount and purpose within a biennial period.

A two-year fiscal period. North Dakota’s biennium runs from July 1 of an odd numbered year to June 30 of the next odd-numbered year.

Authorization by the legislature to spend money from the state treasury for purposes established in law. Appropriations typically limit expenditures to a specific amount and purpose within a biennial period.

A service or grant that, under state or federal law, must be provided to all eligible applicants.

One-year budget period that begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. The state fiscal year extends from July 1 through the next June 30. The federal fiscal year runs October 1 through September 30.

Adjustments made to the base or planning estimates in a forecasted program based on a new budget forecast that predicts expenditure changes. Entitlement programs like as K-12 general education, intergovernmental aids, health care, and family support are forecast based on expected changes in eligibility, enrollment, and average costs. Wage and price inflation is included in the revenue estimates, which are based on current law tax rates.

A unit of measure of state employees. It refers to the equivalent of one person working full time for one year (approximately 2,080 hours of paid staff time). Two persons working half time also count as one FTE.

Summary of revenues, expenditures, reserves and year-end balances for a fund or grouping of funds. Updated fund balances are prepared at the release of each state forecast, the release of the Governor’s budget, and at the end of each legislative session.

The General Fund is the source of the state’s main operating funding and is used to support activities outlined in statute.  Major revenue streams into the General Fund include state individual, corporate, and sales taxes among others. These are non-dedicated revenues and are available to be appropriated by the Legislature.  

Bonds whose repayment is guaranteed by the “full faith and credit” of the state.

An appropriation made in statute (instead of session law) authorizing spending for a program of a pre-determined dollar amount for a specific period of time or indefinitely.

An appropriation made in statute (instead of session law) authorizing the ongoing spending for a program. In contrast to direct appropriations, statutory appropriations need not be reviewed every biennium for funding to continue. They are, however, presented and considered as part of the total operating budget.

Money appropriated but unspent at the end of a fiscal year or end of biennium. Such amounts are generally turned back to the state fund from which they were appropriated.

Authorized movement of money between programs within an agency, between agencies for a designated purpose, between appropriations accounts within a fund or between state funds where authorized. By definition all transfers are two-sided, a source account (out) and a destination account (in).