General Assembly approves new awareness designations for four months

After six weeks of debating bills and amending legislation, the General Assembly has decided on four months to acknowledge different groups of constituents.

Here are the additions to the Virginia calendar of awareness for 2023 and each year thereafter.

Problem Gambling Awareness Month

March will now be designated as Problem Gambling Awareness Month in Virginia, starting this year. SJ 232, proposed by Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, passed the Senate and House Rules Committees unanimously this session. The bill was created, according to the bill, to bring awareness to gambling concerns, which are considered to be a public health issue. According to a survey conducted by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), 79% of Virginians have participated in some kind of gambling in the last year. The bill states, also, that problem gambling can be treated, and there are groups working to bring awareness to the issue, like the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling and the Virginia Lottery. For more information or help with problem gambling, go to the NCPG webpage, the National Problem Gambling hotline or the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling website.

Trisomy Awareness Month

March will be a busy month; Trisomy Awareness Month will begin this March in Virginia in addition to Problem Gambling Awareness Month. Del. Phillip Scott, R-Spotsylvania, proposed HJ 510 to indicate March as Trisomy Awareness Month in honor of his daughter, who has trisomy 18, also known as Edward’s Syndrome, he said in subcommittee on Jan. 31. According to the Center for Disease Control, as of December 2022, trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) affects 1 in 707 births, trisomy 18 (Edward’s Syndrome) affects 1 in 3315 births and trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome) affects 1 in 7409 births nationwide. A month of awareness for these conditions would allow Virginians to learn more and support those affected by trisomy conditions, according to the bill. More information about trisomy conditions and ways to support can be found on the Support Organization for Trisomy website.

Jewish American Heritage Month

Beginning May 2023, and each May thereafter, Virginians will celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month. Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, proposed HJ 543 in response to a reemergence of antisemitism, according to the bill. Additionally, Jewish American Heritage Month will give space to honor Jewish history, especially since Virginia is home to some of the oldest synagogues in the country, the bill states. As of 2022, Virginia’s Jewish population was around 150,620, according to the Jewish Virtual Library. Throughout this month, Filler-Corn’s bill encourages Virginians to celebrate the Jewish population as a part of the larger Virginia community.

Dyslexia Awareness Month

October is now Dyslexia Awareness Month in Virginia. Dyslexia is a neurological disability characterized by difficulty with word recognition and spelling, usually related to phonological components of language, according to Decoding Dyslexia Virginia. Del. Marcus Simon, D-Falls Church, proposed this bill, HJ 488, after the request of a constituent, he said in subcommittee testimony. In 2015-2016 a survey conducted by the National Center for Learning Disabilities indicated that 54,199 students in Virginia were identified with a specific learning disability. According to the bill, Dyslexia Awareness Month would provide the opportunity to recognize the work of educators who specialize in assisting those with Dyslexia and other learning disabilities, as well as acknowledging and supporting those with the condition. The Virginia Department of Education and Decoding Dyslexia Virginia can provide more information on diagnostic criteria and how to best support those with Dyslexia.