Here is a quick update about the legislative session and the bills going through that impact infants, toddlers, and their families. The Mississippi Forum For the Future began with a focus on Child Care policy, but the Steering Committee is hard at work identifying additional priorities around the issue of ensuring infants, toddlers, and their mothers are Healthy, and families are supported and secure. (And in the coming months, Forum members will have an opportunity to learn more about those priorities and weigh in on them!)
While the upcoming Early Childhood Capitol Day (Feb. 11, 2025) will focus on Child Care issues, we will keep track and share what is happening across all four of those issue areas. If you would like to see all of the legislation that has been introduced related to prenatal-to-5 issues and what stage of the legislative process they are currently in, visit our Prenatal to 5 bill Tracker.
There are a few specific bills that we are especially keeping our eyes on that have particular interest to the Forum’s members and are related to the approved Early Care and Education priorities… see below for that list!
Also, if you did not get a chance to register for Capitol Day before we ran out of space, don’t worry! You are welcome to join us in the Capitol Rotunda at 1:15pm to network with other infant and toddler supporters, take a group photo, and a chance to learn about statewide early childhood initiatives!
HB1100 – MS Childcare Teachers Shortage Study Committee; create.
Reason: This bill was recommended by the MEC Child Care Task force, and many FFtF partners were members of that Task Force. While the bill is a much simpler version of the task force that we requested, we believe that a more robust version will be substituted when it goes to the Senate.
HB1519 – Sales tax; exempt sales of diapers, diaper bags and rash cream and baby wipes, powder and formula.
Reason: The Forum For the Future Steering Committee members recently recommended that the coalition support efforts to increase economic security for families— and one member explictly expressed that reducing sales tax on these items would have address the issue directly, so we are watching this one closely.
SB2074 – Sales tax; exempt sales of feminine hygiene products, baby formula and baby diapers.
Reason: See Above
HB1063 – MS State Employees Paid Parental Leave Act; create.
Reason: Paid Family Leave is an issue that the Forum For the Future Steering Committee recently recommended be an issue that the coalition support. While the entire coalition membership has not yet approved this issue, there is evidence that shows access to paid family medical leave has positive long and short term outcomes for babies, and also reduces the need for expensive infant care outside of the home during the early months of a child’s life.
SB2022 – Mississippi Sick and Safe Leave Act; enact.
Reason: See Above
SB2438 – Mississippi State Employees Paid Parental Leave Act; enact.
Reason: See Above
HB1047 – Mississippi Paid Family and Medical Leave Act; establish.
Reason: See Above
HB866 – Major medical leave; expand authorized purposes for the use of by state employees.
Reason: See Above
HB622 – Medicaid; revise criteria for presumptive eligibility for pregnant women to conform to federal laws and regulations.
Reason: A Forum For the Future Partner brought this bill to our attention— it corrects some of the issues with the previous presumptive eligibility bill to ensure that more women get access to care early in their pregnantcies