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State Budget

Fiscal Year 2024/2025

The 2023 legislative session is an important one because it sets the state budget for the next two fiscal years (FY24 and 25). While the legislature will convene next year to make adjustments to the FY2025 budget, the basic framework will be put in place during this session.

Connecticut enjoys a significant budget surplus for FY23 but legislators are grappling with a host of funding needs in the face of the end of pandemic-era federal funding. In addition, budget forecasters are predicting rough times ahead, especially if we are hit with a recession as some predict. All of this means that legislators will be cautious about making promises.

Now that the Governor and the legislature have released their budgets, the two branches of government will meet to negotiate a final budget. The budget process can seem complicated because it involves both the Governor's Office and various committees of the Legislature. Click here for an overview of how the process works.

Learn more about how money flows from the state to the arts community by visiting our State Arts Funding resources.

Learn more about the Arts, Culture, and Tourism Funding Roadmap, a plan to secure more meaningful, reliable, and equitable state support for the arts.

The Final Connecticut State Budget

The budget passed by the Connecticut State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ned Lamont continued to underfund tourism marketing and take a scattershot approach to funding arts and culture. There are no additional investments in Connecticut Office of the Arts, Connecticut Humanities or tourism marketing while line items grew by $3.8 million. The state has also disinvested in the CT Cultural Fund in this biennium. In addition, $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds have been allocated for the Free Summer in the Museum program and another $4.6 million in FY24 to various cultural organizations and groups.

Here is where we landed with the tourism fund:

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Download the complete budget
Download the Tourism Fund budget
Download the American Rescue Plan Act Allocations budget

The Appropriations Committee’s Proposed Budget

The Appropriations Committee has released its budget, which proposes $16.5 million for the Tourism Fund, as well as $13.5 million in ARPA funds and $1.8 million in carry forward funds that benefit the cultural community. Download the budget summary below to see how this stacks up to the Governor’s proposed budget.

Download the Appropriations Committee’s full proposed budget
Download a summary of areas that affect the arts community

The Governor's Proposed Budget

The Governor released his proposed budget on February 8. As in previous years, the Governor proposes nearly flat funding for the Tourism Fund with a modest increase in tourism marketing. All other areas are flat funded from FY23.

Download the Governor's full proposed budget
Download the Governor's proposed Tourism Fund budget