States are moving on child care, paid leave, and tax credits. Key bills on Medicaid, SNAP, and early childhood programs are advancing—stay updated on the latest legislative trends.
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:At least five states have introduced bills to consolidate or coordinate the governance of early childhood programs and services.
Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML): Bills to establish statewide PFML programs are moving through the legislative processes in Virginia and Hawaii.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
Administrative Burden
Kansas lawmakers advanced H.B. 2015 and S.B. 79, both of which would direct the Secretary for Children and Families to request a waiver from the federal Department of Agriculture to prohibit families from using SNAP benefits to purchase soda or candy.
Oregon S.B. 1018 would require the state to seek a waiver to restrict SNAP recipients from using benefits to purchase foods of minimal nutritional value.
Tennessee H.B. 1236 is one of several bills introduced in the state to prohibit SNAP benefits from being used to purchase candy and sodas.
Child Care
Iowa H.F. 345 would increase the income eligibility for child care subsidies to 185% of the FPL (currently 145%) for children needing basic care, and 240% of the FPL (currently 200%) for children needing special-needs care.
Kansas S.B. 132/H.B. 2294 would consolidate early childhood programs under a new Office of Early Childhood. At least four other states (Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, and New York) have introduced legislation this session to create a new agency, department, cabinet, or office to consolidate or coordinate services for young children.
Kentucky H.B. 381 would create the Child Care Assistance Partnership license plate to raise funds for the state’s cost-share program in which the state matches the contribution made by employers to an employee’s child care cost.
Tennessee S.B. 802/H.B. 841 would establish the Promising Futures Early Learning scholarship program for families below 150% of the state median income (SMI) and create a fund to support the program with excess lottery revenue.
Doulas
Arkansas H.B. 1427/S.B. 213, also known as the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act, includes Medicaid coverage for doula services in addition to requiring coverage for depression screenings, remote ultrasounds, and self-reported blood pressure.
North DakotaH.B. 1464 would require the Department of Health and Human Services to provide the legislature with a report on doula certification. The bill was amended in committee to remove Medicaid coverage for postpartum doula services.
Texas H.B. 2573 mandates Medicaid coverage for doula services from confirmed pregnancy up to one year postpartum.
Early Intervention
Illinois H.B. 3327 would expand eligibility for Early Intervention (EI) services to infants with birth weights under 1,000 grams (about 2.2 lbs) and would require a public awareness campaign outlining the new requirements. The bill would also require the new Department of Early Childhood to assume the role of lead agency for EI services after July 1, 2026, taking over from the Department of Human Services.
Medicaid
Idaho H.B. 138, which would require stipulations on continued Medicaid expansion such as lifetime limits, enrollment caps, and suspensions of automatic renewals, is headed to the full House for consideration.
Kansas H.B. 2375 and S.B. 257 would expand Medicaid eligibility up to 138% of the FPL effective January 2026. The bills include work requirements for childless adults to remain eligible and are contingent on the continued federal matching rate of at least 90 percent.
Montana S.B. 62, which would phase out Medicaid expansion beginning in September 2025, was indefinitely postponed.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Hawaii H.B. 755, which would create a PFML program providing 12 weeks of family leave and 26 weeks of medical leave (cumulative maximum of 26 weeks in a benefit year), passed favorably out of another House committee last week.
Illinois H.B. 3483 would create a PFML program providing up to 18 weeks of leave and H.B. 2946 would create a PFML program providing up to 26 weeks of weeks of leave.
Iowa H.S.B. 78 and S.S.B. 1040 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.
Mississippi H.B. 1063, which would provide 8 weeks of paid parental leave for eligible state employees who are primary caregivers and 2 weeks of paid leave for those who are secondary caregivers, passed the House.
Virginia H.B. 2531, which would create a PFML program providing up to 12 weeks of leave, passed the Senate.
Tax Credits
Nebraska L.B. 710, which would increase the generosity of the state's refundable earned income tax credit (EITC) from 10% to 20% of the federal credit, is set for a hearing next week.
Oregon H.B. 3120 would increase the generosity of the state EITC to 18% of the federal credit for families with children under age 3, 15% for families with children under age 6, and 12% for all other families. H.B. 2958 would expand eligibility for the state EITC to younger tax filers, increase the generosity of the credit to 25% of the federal credit for families with children under 3 and 2% for all other families, and establish a program for advanced quarterly payments of the credit.
Utah S.B. 244 would have made the existing state EITC refundable as a part of a larger tax package. However, the bill did not pass out of committee.
Vermont H.B. 135 would make Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) holders ineligible for the state EITC and increase the generosity of the credit for childless adults to 100% of the federal credit.
West VirginiaS.B. 217 would create a refundable state child tax credit (CTC) or child and dependent care tax credit (CDCTC) effective tax year 2025. Eligible taxpayers would be able to claim a refundable state CTC equal to 10% of the federal credit or a refundable state CDCTC equal to 20% of the federal credit, whichever amount is greater.
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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