Here at Plural, we’re always hyperfocused on state legislative work. When most legislatures are in recess, we’re planning how to best present legislative insights to you when their activity starts back up again. This constant focus on looking ahead does make us feel a bit like the people who start counting down the days until Christmas while we’re still in July. But this level of preparation and awareness of what’s to come can help ensure that the policy professionals we serve can hit the ground running in the new year. So, without further ado, read on for our coverage of all the logistics you need to know to be prepared for the 2025 state legislative sessions.
The Schedule
A myriad of dates and deadlines make up legislative schedules. Three standard dates we like to be aware of heading into session are:
- The estimated date that a state’s pre-filed bills become publicly available if that state allows for pre-filed bills.
- The first day of the session.
- The scheduled final day of session, or, where that date isn’t statutorily defined, an estimated timeframe for adjournment.
These three dates will help you and your organization begin to plan your time for the beginning of next year. They’ll help you identify when you’ll need to begin blocking time to review new bills each morning, planning travel to the capitol building, and scheduling a post-session retreat. These dates will frame your legislative work for next year. For those working across multiple states, this awareness can be especially helpful — it’ll help ensure your team is ready for the various busy periods throughout session.
Carry-over Legislation
In 2024, more than two dozen states carried over legislation from 2023. In 2025, however, most states will start with a fresh slate. Only two states — New Jersey and Virginia — may consider legislation that was introduced in 2024. With that being said, we know many state legislators throughout the country will re-introduce legislation that is identical to legislation considered in previous years. Plural’s related bills tool can help you identify this activity.
State Budgets
Forty-seven states will need to pass budgets for fiscal year 2026 in the upcoming legislative sessions. Kentucky, Virginia, and Wyoming are the only states that have already passed their FY 2026 budgets. However, it’s likely that they will still consider supplemental funding measures.
New Legislators
Eighty-five of the county’s 99 state legislative chambers will hold regular legislative elections in 2024. In total, nearly 6,000 individual state legislators will be re-elected or newly elected. While incumbents tend to have quite an advantage in races for legislative chambers, we are sure to see a lot of new faces in state capitols in 2025. New legislators and changing partisan distributions create new dynamics. Policy professionals must be aware of these factors going into next year’s legislative sessions.
Session Length
Clean slates, budget mandates, and new legislators mean that legislators will likely spend more time in session in 2025. Odd years generally have longer sessions as there’s more work for legislators in states that operate on a biennium.
Looking Ahead With Plural
The election will dominate the next few months. But this time is also crucial for preparing for the upcoming 2025 state legislative sessions. By predicting the makeup of legislatures and the mandates they have from voters, we can confidently outline each session’s structure and timing. This foresight enables advocates to plan their strategies and focus on the most important issues efficiently.
Top public policy teams across the country trust Pural for their legislative tracking needs. With Plural, you’ll:
- Access superior public policy data
- Be the first to know about new bills and changes in bill status
- Streamline your day with seamless organization features
- Harness the power of time-saving AI tools to gain insights into individual bills and the entire legislative landscape
- Keep everyone on the same page with internal collaboration and external reporting all in one place
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