Legislative Action at a Glance

This week’s legislative activity included new state action on state minimum wages, paid family leave programs, and child care affordability.

• State Minimum Wage: Several states have proposed increases to their state minimum wage, and Virginia’s bill has passed the House.

• Paid Family and Medical Leave: Hawaii and Virginia are advancing legislation to establish statewide PFML programs of up to 12 weeks.

• Child Care: Arizona, Kansas, and Rhode Island are working to make child care more affordable and accessible for families.

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

• Hawaii H.B. 2360, which would create a statewide PFML program of up to 12 weeks, was reported favorably out of committee. 

• Missouri S.B. 1614/H.B. 3226 would create a statewide PFML program of up to 6 weeks.

• New Mexico S.B. 188 would provide up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave to eligible school employees.

• Virginia S.B. 2, which would create a statewide PFML program of up to 12 weeks, was referred to the Senate Finance and Appropriations committee.

• West Virginia H.B. 5080 would create a statewide PFML program of up to 12 weeks.

• Arizona S.B. 1597 would allocate funds to eliminate the child care subsidies waitlist.

• Illinois H.B. 4791/S.B. 3202 would expand eligibility for the Smart Start Child Care Workforce Program to Head Start and EHS programs.

• Kansas H.B. 2689 would establish a child care cost-share program in which employers, employees, and the state split the cost of care equally. Families would be eligible if their incomes were at or above 325% of the federal poverty level (FPL).

• Kentucky H.B. 6 would require the development of a cost estimation model to set reimbursement rates for the 2028-2030 CCDF plan.

• Rhode Island H.B. 7462 would remove child care subsidy copayments for families under 125% of the FPL and reduce copayments for all other families in the program, setting the maximum allowable copayment amount at 6% of family income.

• California A.B. 1690 would gradually expand the child age eligibility of the state child tax credit (CTC). Beginning in tax year 2026, child age eligibility would increase by 1 year (from the current under 6 threshold) until it reaches all children under 18 by 2038.

• Illinois H.B. 4680 would increase the refundable state earned income tax credit (EITC) from 20% to 30% of the federal credit.

• New York A. 10126/S. 9077 would gradually increase the value of the refundable state CTC until it reaches $1,500 for all children under age 18 in 2031. The bill would index the credit for inflation beginning in 2031 and allow for advanced payments of the credit beginning in 2031.

• Rhode Island S.B. 2364 would increase the refundable state EITC from 16% to 30% of the federal credit, effective tax year 2027.

• West Virginia H.B. 5084 would create a refundable state CTC of $1,000 per child under 17, effective tax year 2026.

• Mississippi H.B. 1493, also known as the Mississippi Maternal Health Momnibus Act, died in committee.

• Missouri H.B. 3168 and H.B. 3169 would require the state to expand Medicaid covered doula services to include attendance at cesarean deliveries and up to 10 additional support sessions.

• West Virginia H.B. 5062, also known as the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act, would require Medicaid reimbursement for home visitation prenatal and postpartum doula services, depression screenings, remote ultrasound services, and blood pressure management materials.

• Illinois S.B. 3294/H.B. 4784 would provide that any person initially determined to be eligible for Medicaid will have presumptive eligibility for continuous coverage during any redetermination processes.

• Georgia H.B. 1151 would expand Medicaid up to 138% of the FPL for eligible adults ages 19 to 64 and S.B. 380 would authorize funding to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, conditioned on the federal match rate remaining over 90%.

• New Jersey S. 2753/A. 1357 would extend Medicaid coverage to pregnant people regardless of immigration status up to 60 days postpartum. It would also extend coverage to their dependent children up to the age of 1.

• Illinois S.B. 3277/H.B. 4730 would require the creation of a temporary SNAP program for households experiencing a reduction or loss of benefits due to failure to meet work requirements.

• Illinois S.B. 2908 would direct the state to seek a waiver to prohibit the purchase of candy, prepared desserts, soft drinks, certain fruit/vegetable juices, energy drinks, and certain beverage mixes/concentrates with SNAP benefits.

• New Mexico S.B. 137 would limit the SNAP eligibility pathway that streamlines program access for people receiving noncash TANF benefits (Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility).

• New Mexico S.B. 186 would direct the state to seek a waiver to prohibit the purchase of candy and "sweetened drinks" with SNAP benefits.

• Georgia H.B. 1197 would repeal the preemption law that prevents local governments from setting their own minimum wage.

• Kansas S.B. 471 would raise the state minimum wage to $16.00 per hour (up from $7.25).

• Nebraska L.B. 258 would cap annual cost-of-living adjustments to 1.75% and would establish a youth minimum wage of $13.50 for youth ages 14 and 15. This bill passed and was sent to the Governor.

• New Jersey A. 680 would establish a preemption law that prohibits local governments from setting their own minimum wage for private employers.

• Pennsylvania H.B. 2189 would establish a phased increase in the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour (up from $7.25) by 2029 with the first increase to $11.00 per hour taking effect January 1, 2027. It would also implement annual cost-of-living adjustments beginning in 2030.

• Virginia H.B. 1 would gradually increase the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour (up from $12.77) by January 1, 2028, with annual cost-of-living adjustments beginning in 2029. This bill passed the House.

• Virginia S.B. 678 would allow, but not require, the state to include "at-risk" infants and toddlers in EI service eligibility. It would also allow families to be charged on a sliding-fee schedule where states allow and would direct efforts to strengthen coordination across state agencies and transition planning as children approach age 3.