Connecticut, Missouri, and Ohio work on increasing minimum wage, while Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, and Oregon push forward on Tax Credits. Plus, key updates on SNAP, doulas, Medicaid, PFML, and home visiting.
Welcome to Legislative Trends, your go-to source for the latest updates on state policy action affecting infants, toddlers, and their families during legislative sessions. Each week, our team of policy analysts tracks key legislative movements, from state budget proposals impacting Medicaid and SNAP to bills advancing paid family leave, child care, and other critical prenatal-to-3 policies. Below is a sampling of legislation we’re tracking from across the country, all grounded in the evidence-based policies highlighted in our Prenatal-to-3 Policy Roadmap. Stay informed and ahead of the curve with our timely analysis of the trends shaping early childhood policy.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
State Minimum Wage:States continue to explore the elimination of the subminimum wage.
Tax Credits:Georgia, Louisiana, and Montana all advanced legislation to establish a state child tax credit.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
Administrative Burden
Arizona H.B. 2165, which would restrict the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase soft drinks, passed both chambers.
Illinois S.B. 32, which would make any household that includes a veteran or member of the armed forces categorically eligible for SNAP if their income is less than 200% of the federal poverty line, passed the Senate.
Kansas Gov. Kelly vetoed S.B. 79, which would restrict the use of SNAP benefits to purchase soft drinks or candy.
North CarolinaH.B. 733 would extend SNAP certification periods to 12 months and make individuals with drug-related felony convictions eligible for benefits.
PennsylvaniaS.B. 560 would establish the Pennsylvania Preferred Food Buck Program, a SNAP nutrition incentive program.
Child Care
HawaiiH.B. 549 would establish an early learning apprenticeship grant program.
MontanaS.B. 321 would provide a refundable income tax credit of $1,600 for child care workers employed for at least 6 months and working a minimum of 20 hours per week. The bill passed the Senate.
TexasH.B. 4598 would create a 0.15% payroll contribution to fund child care subsidies.
Doulas
ArkansasH.B. 1252, which would direct the state Department of Health to oversee community-based doula certification and registry and direct the state Department of Human Services to enact rules to reimburse doulas through Medicaid by December 2025, passed the House.
LouisianaH.B. 454 would require Medicaid to cover doula services effective January 1, 2026.
MaineL.D. 1523 (H.P. 1008) would require Medicaid to cover doula services effective January 1, 2026.
West Virginia S.B. 292 would require the Public Employees Insurance Agency and Medicaid to cover doula services and permit the Commissioner of Health to issue statewide standing recommendation regarding a doula benefit.
Home Visiting
NebraskaL.B. 22 would add the state's home visitation program to statute and require annual reports to the legislature on funding models used, and families served. This bill has been signed by Gov. Pillen.
Medicaid
Arkansas H.B. 1004 would extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months.
Kansas Gov. Kelly vetoed H.B. 2240, which would have restricted state agency authority to make changes to the Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, or child care programs without legislative approval.
New Hampshire S.B. 134 would require the state Department of Health and Human Services to resubmit the state's Medicaid waiver allowing the state to enforce work requirements for Medicaid recipients.
Texas H.B. 2865 would prohibit the state from using ex parte renewals to automatically redetermine recipients' Medicaid eligibility (except as required by federal law).
WisconsinA.B. 163 would require the state to conduct Medicaid redeterminations every 6 months, prohibit the use of pre-populated forms, limit the use of ex parte renewals, and make individuals that fail to report changes within 10 days ineligible for coverage for 6 months.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
District of Columbia B26-0182would expand access to PFML benefits for private sector workers in the event of job loss, as long as that worker is not collecting unemployment insurance benefits.
Maryland H.B. 102, which delays implementation of the PFML program, passed both chambers and was sent to the governor's desk.
South CarolinaH.B. 3645 would increase paid parental leave benefits for state employees to up to 12 weeks for parents who gave birth and up to 4 weeks for all other parents. The bill would also expand coverage to employees at institutions of higher education.
State Minimum Wage
Connecticut H.B. 5607 would establish a task force to study the impact of eliminating the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities.
Missouri H.B. 567, which would remove annual cost-of-living adjustments to the SMW, passed the House and advanced through two Senate committees.
Ohio H.B. 225would phase out and fully eliminate the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities.
Tax Credits
Georgia H.B. 136 would create a nonrefundable state child tax credit (CTC) worth $250 per child under age 6 and increase the generosity of the state's nonrefundable child and dependent care tax credit (CDCTC) from 30% to 50% of the federal credit. The bill passed both chambers.
LouisianaS.B. 149 would eliminate the state's refundable state earned income tax credit (EITC) effective January 1, 2026. H.B. 337 would create a refundable CTC equal to $500 per eligible child under the age of 6.
Missouri H.B. 798 would eliminate the nonrefundable state EITC worth 10% of the federal credit and replace it with a larger standard deduction as a part of a larger tax package.
MontanaH.B. 220 would create a CTC worth $1200 per child under age 6 effective TY 2026. S.B. 321 would create a CTC worth $600 per child under age 6 effective TY 2026 and requires that families have earned income, and eligible children have a SSN.
Oregon S.B. 121, which would extend the sunset date for the state's refundable EITC from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2032, was scheduled for a work session.
Thank you for staying up to date with this week’s legislative updates. Our team is dedicated to monitoring the policies and trends that impact the prenatal-to-3 space and beyond. For deeper insights into the evidence-based policies driving early childhood progress, explore our Prenatal-to-3 Policy Roadmap. If you have any questions or have an important update from your state, please contact Alyssa Rafa, Assistant Policy Director, at alyssa.rafa@vanderbilt.edu. Let’s work together to drive lasting progress for young children and their families.
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