Legislative Action at a Glance

This week’s legislative activity included state action to improve access to child care and doula services. 

• Child Care: North Carolina and Tennessee are considering ways to fund improvements to their child care systems. 

• Doulas: New York and North Carolina proposed legislation to support access to doula care. 

Our policy analysts track legislative activity each week, following where states are taking action on the evidence-based policies in our Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap. 

• Oklahoma H.B. 3467 would expand paid maternity leave for public school employees to include the adoption of a child. This bill passed both chambers.

• Colorado H.B. 1260 would postpone implementation of several provisions related to the child care subsidy program, including a 7% cap on family copayments. This bill passed both chambers.
• North Carolina H.B. 1066 would reallocate funds from the K-12 Opportunity Scholarship to reduce the child care subsidy waitlist, increase provider reimbursement rates, supplement the child care workforce through Child Care WAGE$, establish a child care employer health coverage pool, establish a cost-share program, and establish an early childhood apprenticeship grant program.
• Ohio H.B. 827 would increase the income eligibility limit for child care subsidies from 145% of the federal poverty level (FPL) to 200% of the FPL.
• Tennessee H.B. 2358 would require the state to annually transfer a portion of TANF rainy-day funds to cover families on the child care subsidy waitlist. The bill was amended to require a report on TANF and CCDF balances and expenditures. This bill passed both chambers.

• Maryland H.B. 735/S.B. 519 would delay the implementation of the earned income tax credit (EITC) Assistance Program until tax year 2030. The assistance program identifies filers who are eligible for, but have not claimed, the state EITC, and assists them in claiming it. These bills were signed by the governor and enacted. 
• North Carolina H. 1082 and S. 942 would establish a refundable state EITC equal to 20% of the federal credit effective in tax year 2026. H. 1066 would establish a refundable state CTC worth up to $250 per child, effective tax year 2026. 

• New York S. 8622 would require a study on doula integration in New York's healthcare facilities. S. 6494 would require all health insurance policies in the state to cover doula services under currently required maternity care services. These bills passed the Senate.
• North Carolina S. 907 would recognize doulas as essential members of the maternal health workforce and direct the state to establish fair reimbursement and fund doula support hubs and mentorship programs, among other provisions. The bill also includes language that would expand access to midwifery care in the state.

• North Carolina H. 1141 would eliminate the state's existing trigger law, which would halt the Medicaid expansion program if federal match funding falls below 90%.
• Oklahoma H.B. 4440 would, if approved by voters, move Medicaid expansion from the state constitution into statute if the federal matching rate falls below 90%, easing future legislative action to modify or repeal the program. H.J.R. 1067 would, if approved by voters, add a trigger directly to the state constitution to terminate Medicaid expansion if the federal matching rate falls below 90%. Both bills have passed in the House and the Senate.

• North Carolina H.B. 1059 would increase the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour (up from $7.25), effective upon enactment, with annual cost-of-living adjustments beginning in January 2027.