Welcome to Civics Currents, your in-depth resource for teaching Virginia government and politics. Whether you're a new subscriber who joined us at recent conferences or a returning member of our community, we're excited to help you navigate the 2025 General Assembly session.

In This Edition:

• Session Made Easy: Essential VPAP tools and discussion prompts for teaching the legislative process

• Capitol Kickstart: New video series starting January 21st (with PD credit!)

• Trivia Time: Test your knowledge of Virginia's legislative process

• Virginia Civics in Context: Key dates and milestones for the 2025 session

• Share Your Story: How will you teach the 2025 session?

Ready to dive in? Let's get started!

Session Made Easy: Your Roadmap to Virginia’s Legislative Process

The General Assembly session is a perfect time to engage students in real-world civics. Here's your guide to VPAP's essential tools for following the session:

Key Resources for Your Classroom:

• VaNews Daily Legislative Roundup : Start each class with curated headlines about important legislative developments

• Bill Tracking System : Follow legislation on topics that matter to your students

• Legislator Pages : Connect bills and votes to your local representatives

• Citizen’s Guide : Learn how to get past the gatekeepers and make your voice heard

Discussion Starters:

1. What issues matter most to our community this session?

2. How will we plan to stay informed about these issues?

3. Who are our representatives in the General Assembly?

4. How might we influence and advocate for the issues we care about?

Introducing Capitol Kickstart: 10-Minute Power-Ups

Starting January 21st, join us for six weekly videos that will transform how you teach about Virginia government. Each 10-minute session includes:

• A fundamental concept about Virginia government

• A VPAP resource to illustrate that concept

• A ready-to-use teaching strategy

Mark Your Calendar: New videos release every Monday from January 21 - February 25
Bonus Feature: Submit your questions throughout the series for live answers

This is an easy way to earn a Professional Development (PD) point towards recertification!

Test your knowledge of Virginia's legislative process!

Use these questions to spark classroom discussions:

1. How many days will the 2025 regular session last?

2. Which committee must all revenue bills go through in the House of Delegates?

3. Challenge Question: What happens to bills that aren't acted upon by crossover day?

Need help? Check out our “How a Bill Becomes a Law in Virginia” infographic .

(answers at the end)

January's Key Legislative Dates

• January 8: Opening Day!

  • General Assembly convenes at noon

  • Joint Assembly kicks off the session

• January 10: Budget day

  • All budget amendments due

  • This starts the money conversations!

• January 17: Bill filing deadline

  • All bills must be filed by 3:00 p.m.

  • Committees begin intensive review of proposed legislation:

    • Bills are assigned to subject-matter committees

    • Public hearings allow citizen testimony

    • Committee members can amend bills

    • Each bill gets a crucial vote: report (advance) or pass by indefinitely (PBI)

Due to Richmond's water issues, the legislative session's first working day has been delayed to Monday, January 13th. This may affect subsequent deadlines for budget and bill filing. We'll keep you posted!

Looking Ahead

Mark your calendar for these major milestones:

• February 4: Houses complete work on their own bills

• February 11: "Crossover" approaches

• February 22: Session adjourns sine die

• March 24: Last day for governor’s action on legislation

• April 2: Reconvened Session

• July 1: Common effective date of enacted legislation

1. 46 days (short, odd numbered year session)

2. House Appropriations Committee

3. They die in their house of origin