Legislative Action at a Glance

This week’s legislative activity included new state action to support the child care workforce, to enhance family tax credits, and to establish statewide PFML programs.

• Child Care: Maryland, Rhode Island, and West Virginia are proposing legislation to support child care workers by improving access to child care subsidies.

• Tax Credits: Connecticut and Virginia introduced bills to create child tax credits.

Our policy analysts monitor legislative activity across these nine policy areas, with weekly updates reflecting where states are taking action.

• Iowa S.F. 2239 would create a statewide PFML program of up to 12 weeks, effective January 2031.

• Utah S.B. 229 would increase the duration of paid postpartum recovery leave for state employees from 3 to 9 weeks.

• Wisconsin A.B. 1012 would create a statewide PFML program of up to 12 weeks, effective January 2028.

• Arizona H.B. 4099 would automatically allocate funds every year from the state’s lottery towards child care subsidies.

• Maryland S.B. 664 would require priority for child care subsidies for child care workers.

• New Jersey A. 3450 would require payment to providers to be based on enrollment.

• Rhode Island H.B. 7319 would eliminate the sunset of the program that provides child care subsidies to early educators and it would increase income eligibility for this program.

• Virginia H.B. 18 would create a cost-share program. The percentage the state would match and the income eligibility for the family would be set by the general appropriation act. This bill passed the House.

• West Virginia H.B. 5079 would provide child care subsidies for child care workers.

• Wisconsin A.B. 1015 would limit subsidy copayments to 7% of family income and remove copayments for families below 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL).

• Connecticut H.B. 5134 would create a refundable state child tax credit (CTC) of $600 per child under the age of 18.

• Virginia H.B. 979 would create a refundable one-time CTC of $400 per child under the age of 6 for tax years 2026 to 2030. Families with incomes less than $100,000 would be eligible for the credit.

• Wisconsin A.B. 1030 would increase the state earned income tax credit (EITC) for families with 1 or 2 children to 34% of the federal credit, effective tax year 2026.

• Rhode Island H.B. 7594 would increase the refundable state EITC from 16% to 30% of the federal credit, effective tax year 2027.

• Georgia H.B. 1264 would establish a pilot program for Medicaid coverage of doula services. Reimbursement would be provided for up to five visits for each client inclusive of prenatal, postpartum, and attendance at labor and delivery.

• Massachusetts H. 5021 would create the Maternal Health Justice Fund to expand and support the doula workforce.

• Missouri H.B. 2372 contains multiple provisions related to health care including the Missouri Doula Reimbursement Act which would codify the existing Medicaid coverage of doula services.

• Vermont H. 611 would move the effective date for Medicaid coverage of doula services from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2027. This bill passed the House.

• Iowa S.B. 696 would direct the state to seek a variety of USDA waivers related to how SNAP eligibility and error rates are calculated and managed.
• Mississippi H.B. 2765 would bar the state from adopting simplified reporting and restrict the policy options the state can use related to categorical eligibility.
• Nebraska H.B. 843 would direct the state to request a USDA waiver aimed at protecting SNAP eligibility for certain refugees and immigrants affected by federal H.R. 1 eligibility changes. The bill would also limit when the state can seek broad SNAP work requirement waivers.
• Kansas H.B. 2738 would direct the state to seek a USDA waiver to prohibit the purchase of candy and soft drinks with SNAP benefits.

• Illinois S.B. 3821 and H.B. 5367 would establish a phased increase in the minimum wage to $27.00 per hour (up from $15.00) by 2032, with the first increase to $17.00 per hour taking effect on July 1, 2026.

• Iowa H.F. 2378 would establish a phased increase in the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour (up from $7.25) by July 1, 2028, with the first increase to $10.00 per hour taking effect on July 1, 2026.

• Tennessee S.B. 2495/H.B. 2248 would raise the state minimum wage to $20.00 per hour (up from $7.25) beginning January 1, 2027, with annual cost of living adjustments beginning in 2028.

• Arizona H.B. 4032 would create an Early Intervention Support Fund and allow those dollars to be used to support Part C EI programs and services. 
• Rhode Island  H.B. 7627 would permit some children to stay enrolled in Part C Early Intervention services past their third birthday as part of a “bridge” program to preschool. It would also require private insurance coverage for eligible children who remain in Part C under that extension.