Legislative Action at a Glance

This week’s legislative activity included state action to support child care through new tax credits and to increase the state minimum wage. 

• Child Care: Missouri and New Hampshire proposed new child care tax credits. 

• State Minimum Wage: Virginia Governor Spanberger signed legislation to gradually increase the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2028. 

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

• Georgia H.B. 1118 would provide 3 weeks of paid maternal leave for state employees who give birth. This bill was sent to the Governor. 
• South Carolina H.B. 4611 would extend eligibility for paid family leave for state employees and public school teachers to employees who experience a stillbirth. 
• Virginia H.B. 1207 would create a statewide paid family and medical leave program of up to 12 weeks of leave, available to families by December 2028. This bill was sent back to the House with suggested amendments. 

• California A.B. 2258 would establish a payroll contribution of 0.03% for employers and 0.01% for employees to increase funding for child care subsidies.  
• Missouri H.B. 2409 would establish a child care provider tax credit for providers with three or more employees, an employer-provided child care assistance tax credit, and a child care contribution tax credit. This bill passed the House.  
• Nebraska L.B. 304 would make the current income eligibility limit for the child care subsidy program permanent—eligibility is currently scheduled to drop from 185% of the federal poverty level (FPL) to 130% in October 2026. This bill was passed by the legislature. 
• New Hampshire H.B. 1433 would establish a nonrefundable tax credit for businesses that create or expand child care programs worth 50% of eligible expenses. This bill passed the House. 
• Wisconsin S.B. 376 creates a nonrefundable tax credit equal to the federal employer-provided child care credit. This bill was signed by the governor. 

• Hawaii S.B. 3125 would extend the expanded state earned income tax credit (EITC) so it does not expire in tax year 2028. The value of the refundable credit is currently set to revert from 40% to 20% of the federal credit in 2028.
• Maryland H.B. 735/S.B. 529 would delay the implementation of the 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 passed both chambers.

• Colorado H.B. 1044 would require a health facility that provides labor and childbirth services to make a statement available, electronically or in writing, on respectful maternity care including the right to a birthing companion or doula during labor and delivery. This bill passed the Senate.  
• Connecticut H.B. 5561 would direct the state Commissioner of Social Services, within available appropriations, to amend the Medicaid state plan to increase reimbursement rates for doulas and other providers.  
• 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. This bill passed the House.  
• Nebraska L.B. 958 was amended to require Medicaid coverage of doula services by January 2029. Additionally, the bill would create a workgroup to develop an implementation plan for reimbursement rates and certification requirements by January 2027. The bill passed the legislature and was enrolled.  

• Kansas S.B. 271 will update the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) statute to reflect current program rules, including CHIP eligibility up to 250% of the current FPL and 12 months of continuous coverage for enrolled children. It will also extend coverage for pregnant minors and expand legislative oversight of the state Medicaid program. This bill was approved by the governor. 
• Oregon H.B. 4127 creates a state-funded payment pathway to support certain reproductive health care providers if federal Medicaid funding is no longer available. This bill was signed by the governor and is currently in effect. 
• Oklahoma S.B. 1380 would require more frequent eligibility checks, including monthly death record matching. It would also tighten verification rules by not allowing self-attestation alone to resolve eligibility discrepancies flagged by the state. This bill passed the Senate. 

• Alabama S.B. 61 would have eliminated the use of broad-based categorical eligibility in the state, limited income and asset rules to federal standards, and required certification periods of no more than four months for some families. This bill has been indefinitely postponed.  

• Connecticut S.B. 497 would create a state-funded transitional nutrition benefit for specific groups at risk of losing SNAP under recent federal changes, including some older adults, caregivers, people experiencing homelessness, and certain immigrants.  
• Maine L.D. 2122 would require the state to invest in an electronic system to reduce SNAP eligibility errors and ultimately lower the state's share of benefit costs under new federal rules.  
• New Hampshire S.B. 603 would require the state to shift existing Department of Health and Human Services funds to help cover SNAP shortfalls from expected drops in federal funding. This bill passed the Senate. 

• Virginia S.B. 1/H.B. 1 will gradually increase the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour (up from $12.77) by January 2028, with annual cost-of-living adjustments beginning in 2029. The first wage increase to $13.75 will occur on January 1, 2027. These bills were signed by the Governor. 

• Tennessee S.B. 2153 would establish an evidence-based early childhood mental health home visiting program for children from birth to age 5. This bill passed both chambers.