After an unsuccessful attempt in 2010, Georgia legislators are hopeful that zero-based budgeting for state government will be implemented this year.

The process, which requires departments to justify each item of their budget, is expected to help in the tough budgeting process ahead.

Both the Senate and House of Representatives have introduced zero-based budgeting bills, which are expected to see widespread support.

Currently, departments and agencies only have to justify their budgets if they are asking for an increase.

"It's sort of forcing everyone to take a much harder look at top down kind of issues with the budget," said Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville. "I think that's the support that's been in the House and support that's been in the Senate all along and it makes agencies look at themselves and the legislature to look at the overall process in a much more confined way."

Last week, the Senate voted to override former Gov. Sonny Perdue's 2010 veto of zero-based budgeting. When the override came before the House Monday, Speaker David Ralston referred it to committee rather than calling for a vote.

Collins said the House is supportive of zero-based budgeting but favors working from a new bill rather than wading through the technical issues of the one that was vetoed last year.

"The dates are not changed when you do that, and so it would present an issue with the current ‘11 budget from a technical standpoint of not being a valid budget or because it had not done the things prescribed by law," Collins said. "We're very much interested in working with that budget process. But this was not the time for that, and having the other bill dropped and worked will provide more conversation."

Gov. Nathan Deal backed the budgeting process while on the campaign trail, said press secretary Stephanie Mayfield.

"He is in support of zero-based budgeting in hard times," Mayfield said. "In times like these, taxpayers have the right to know where their money is going."

In his veto last year, Perdue claimed zero-based budgeting would create too much additional bureaucracy and overhead to justify the results.

Collins said the obstacles of zero-based budgeting have been considered.

"In the end it may not be the silver bullet, but it definitely is something that helps us as a state determine that our budget is in line with what we need to be doing as a government and also what the people expect to be done with their tax dollars," he said. "I think we can all agree we need to be the best steward of our tax dollars."