Senate OKs Livestreaming of Budget Deliberations

To avoid last-minute budget insertions, the Senate yesterday voted to make all stages of public spending accessible to citizens through budget documents uploaded on congressional websites and livestreaming of budget proceedings — including bicameral conference committee meetings.

- By Neil Jayson Servallos

Approved unanimously, the Senate adopted concurrent Resolution No. 4, which institutionalizes transparency and accountability measures in the deliberations on the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

The resolution mandates the publication of key budget documents, livestreaming of hearings and mechanisms for public feedback.

"Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring, to strengthen the national budget process by adopting and enforcing transparency and accountability measures to ensure public access to information and allow public participation in the deliberations of the 2026 General Appropriations Act,” the resolution read.

The measure will still need concurrence from the House of Representatives before it can take effect.

Under the resolution, the Senate and the House – once the latter agrees – will upload to their respective websites a comprehensive set of budget-related documents, from agency requests to the National Expenditure Program (NEP), the House and Senate versions, the bicameral conference committee report and the reconciled version.

Specifically, the resolution requires the uploading of BP 201 forms prepared by government agencies, the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) approved on third reading by the House and transmitted to the Senate, the bicameral conference committee report and joint explanation of disagreeing provisions and transcripts of all bicameral meetings.