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

• Child Care: Georgia, Montana, New Mexico, and Texas all advanced legislation to increase funding for early childhood programs. 

• Doulas: New Mexico enacted legislation to advance doula services in the state. 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Administrative Burden

• Alabama S.B. 246 would prohibit the use of categorical eligibility in the state's SNAP program.
• Michigan H.B. 4303 would require that the Department of Health request a waiver to restrict the use of SNAP benefits to purchase soft drinks. 
• Pennsylvania H.B. 1096 would establish the Pennsylvania Food Bucks program and an associated Food Bucks account to incentivize families receiving SNAP to purchase fruits and vegetables by providing additional benefits to do so.   

Child Care

• Georgia S.R.493 proposes a constitutional amendment to authorize the creation of a Children First Trust Fund to provide financial assistance for child care with a $2 billion appropriation from the Revenue Shortfall Reserve. 
• Montana H.B. 924 would create the Early Childhood Special Revenue account to pull up to $15 million per year from the Montana Growth and Opportunity Trust for several child care initiatives. 
• New Hampshire S.B. 243 would streamline child care subsidies for families through fast-track applications and provide for presumptive eligibility. For providers, the bill would simplify data entry and provide prospective payment.
• New Mexico H.B. 71 would increase the annual distribution from the Early Childhood Trust Fund to the Early Childhood Education and Care Department from $250 million to $500 million. An amendment diverts some of the Fund’s revenue into the newly created Medicaid Trust Fund and Behavioral Health Trust Fund for 3 years. The bill passed both chambers and awaits the governor’s signature. 
• The Texas House budget includes an increase of $100 million for child care subsidies. 

Doulas

• Montana S.B. 319 would create a voluntary certification process for doulas and allow for Medicaid coverage of certified doula services.  
• New Mexico H.B. 214, the Doula Credentialing and Access Act, creates guidelines for voluntary doula certification in the state, establishes a doula credentialing advisory council, and creates the doula fund in the state treasury. The bill was signed by Governor Lujan Grisham. 
• Ohio proposed cuts to H.B. 96, the House’s budget bill, including limits to current Medicaid coverage of doula services.  
• Texas H.B. 1201 would establish a doula Medicaid pilot program in populous counties. 
• Vermont S.B. 53 would outline a voluntary certification process for community-based doulas and require Medicaid coverage for doula services.  

Early Intervention

• Florida H.B. 591 would expand services and support for children with developmental disabilities, especially children with autism spectrum disorder.  

Medicaid

• Arkansas H.B. 1004, which would extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months, passed the House and heads to the Senate. 
• Minnesota S.F. 3138 would create a public option for residents to buy into MinnesotaCare, the state’s Medicaid program.
• North Carolina H.B. 619 and H.B. 653 would adjust the state’s trigger to rescind Medicaid expansion if the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) drops below 90 percent. 
• West Virginia H.B. 3518 would establish a trigger to rescind Medicaid expansion if the FMAP is reduced to less than 90 percent. 
• Wisconsin executive budget bills A.B. 50 and S.B. 45 include provisions that would require the state to expand Medicaid per the Affordable Care Act and to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months.  

Paid Family and Medical Leave

• Alabama S.B. 199, which would provide paid parental leave for eligible state employees and teachers, was signed into law by Governor Ivey.  
• Iowa H.F. 889, which would provide 4 weeks of paid parental leave to eligible state employees who gave birth and 1 week for eligible state employees who did not give birth, passed the original chamber.  
• Hawaii companion bills S.C.R. 145, S.R. 117, and H.R. 175 would create a working group to study the impact of PFML in Hawaii and provide recommendations. 

Tax Credits

• Mississippi H.B. 1 will reduce the personal income tax rate from 4% to 3% by 2030 and includes plans to fully eliminate the tax by 2037. The bill was signed by Governor Reeves. 
• Missouri H.B. 798 would eliminate the state's nonrefundable state earned income tax credit (EITC) worth 10% of the federal credit and replace it with a larger standard deduction.  
• Montana H.B. 220 would create a refundable child tax credit (CTC) of up to $1,200 per eligible child under age 6 and H.B. 337 would increase the generosity of the state's EITC from 10% to 20% of the federal credit as a part of a larger tax package that would lower the highest income tax rate. 
• North Carolina H. 628 would create a refundable CTC of up to $250 per eligible child.  

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.

Did someone forward you this email? You can sign up for the newsletter here.

Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center