2014 State Actions on Poverty and Poverty Related Issues

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1 Minimum Wage o As of January 1, states and DC had a minimum wage above the federal minimum wage ($7.25). 19 states had a minimum wage the same as the federal minimum wage. 4 states had a minimum wage that was lower than the federal minimum wage. 1 state repealed their minimum wage. 5 states do not have a minimum wage Legislation State Status Minimum Wage/Year Notes Alabama Introduced $ $ $ California Introduced $ $ $ Connecticut Enacted $ $ $ District of Columbia Enacted $ $ $ Delaware Enacted $ $ Florida Introduced $ Georgia Introduced $10.10 Hawaii Enacted $ $ $ $ Iowa Introduced $ $ $ $ Introduced $ $ Idaho Introduced $ $ Illinois Introduced $ Must be $1.00 greater than the federal minimum wage if the federal minimum wage rises If federal minimum wage is greater than $8.25, the state must match it

2 $ $ $ Kansas Introduced $ $ Introduced $8.20-Upon Enactment $ $ Louisiana Introduced $ No current state minimum wage $ Introduced $ Introduced $8.25-upon enactment For employers with less than 249,999 employees $8.50-upon enactment Maryland Enacted $ (January) $ (July) $ $ $ Massachusetts Enacted $ $ $ Michigan Enacted $ (After September 1) $ $ $ Minnesota Enacted $ $ $ $ $ $ Missouri Introduced $ Introduced $ Introduced $ Introduced $ Mississippi Failed $ $ $ New Hampshire Introduced $ New Mexico Failed $ For employers with more than 250,000 employees For employers with more than $500,000 in gross annual sales For employers with less than $500,000 in gross annual sales

3 New York Introduced $ $ Oklahoma Introduced $ For state public employees Enacted $7.25 (current) State minimum wage of $7.25 supersedes any increase in minimum wage enacted by local governments (city, town, etc) Pennsylvania Introduced $ days after enactment $ days after enactment $ days after enactment Rhode Island Enacted $ South Carolina Introduced $10.00 or greater than federal minimum wage-upon enactment Tennessee Failed $ For employers who offer health insurance $ Utah Introduced $ Virginia Introduced $ /2015 $ Vermont Enacted $ $ $ $ Washington Introduced $ /2015 $ /2018 Wisconsin Introduced $7.60-First day of month after enactment $8.20-First day of the 3 rd month after enactment $ year after enactment $ years after enactment West Virginia Enacted $ $ For employers who do not offer health insurance Minimum wage increases to the federal minimum wage if it is greater

4 2014 Ballot Initiatives State Ballot Status Minimum Wage/Year Notes Alaska An Act to Increase Alaska s Minimum Wage Ballot Measure 3 Approved $ $ Arkansas California Idaho Illinois Arkansas Minimum Wage Initiative Higher Wages for California Workers Act of 2014 An Initiative Relating to an Increase in the Minimum Wage Paid to Employees by Employers in the State of Idaho Minimum Wage Increase Referendum Act Approved $ $ $ Pending $ $ Failed $ $ $ Approved (Advisory only) $ Advisory question to state legislature; does not require state to raise minimum wage Louisiana House Bill 589 Failed $0.05 higher than the federal minimum wage-2015 Massachusetts Initiative Petition for a Law Raising the Minimum Wage Withdrawn (state enacted legislation increasing minimum wage) $ $ Michigan Raise Michigan Failed (state enacted legislation increasing minimum wage) $ $ $ Minnesota Senate File 2917 Failed $ Missouri Nebraska Statutory Amendment to RSMo Chapter 290, Relating to Minimum Wage Amendment to Nebraska State Statute Section Failed $ Approved $ $

5 New Mexico South Dakota 2014 State Actions on Poverty and Poverty Related Issues Senate Joint Resolution 13 South Dakota Increased Minimum Wage Measure Failed Existing minimum wage adjusted with cost of living annually-2015 Approved $ Paid Family Leave/Paid Medical Leave o Alaska introduced legislation to require 1 hour of paid sick leave per 40 hours worked. o California enacted legislation to require paid medical leave no less than 1 hour of paid medical leave per 30 hours worked. o Connecticut introduced legislation to expand family leave/paid medical leave to add parent in laws, sibling, grandparents, and grandchildren to category of individuals employees can take medical leave to care for. o Connecticut enacted legislation allowing employers to administer paid sick leave on an annual basis similar to other benefits. The legislation also clarifies that manufacturing companies are exempt from the state requirement of offering paid sick leave. o District of Columbia introduced legislation to increase paid family leave to 6 weeks. o Illinois introduced legislation to require 1 hour of paid sick leave per 40 hours worked. o Iowa introduced legislation to require 1 hour of paid sick leave per 40 hours worked. o Hawaii introduced legislation to expand family leave/paid medical leave to 1 hour of paid medical leave per 30 hours worked and introduced legislation to increase paid family leave from 4 weeks to 12 weeks. o Massachusetts residents approved a ballot measure on November 4, 2014 that will require employers with more than 11 employees to offer those employees 1 hour of paid medical/sick leave per 30 hours worked. o New York introduced legislation to require 1 hour of paid sick leave per 20 hours worked. o New York introduced legislation to require paid family leave of 12 weeks per calendar year. o Rhode Island enacted legislation that establishes a state temporary caregiver insurance program to provide wage replacement for individuals who care for a newborn or adopted child or care for an ill child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent. The maximum amount of time for the program is 4 weeks. o South Carolina introduced legislation to require 1 hour of paid sick leave per 40 hours worked. o New Jersey introduced legislation to amend existing paid family leave to include taking child to routine medical/dental appointments. o Vermont introduced legislation to expand paid family leave to 6 weeks per calendar year. o Washington introduced legislation that states paid family leave/paid sick leave legislation/rules at the local level cannot preempt the state s limits. Child Income Tax Credit/Income Tax Credit o Colorado enacted legislation allowing for a tax credit of 25% of child care expenses for low income residents.

6 o Hawaii introduced legislation to implement a refundable state income tax credit and to offer financial education to TANF recipients; introduced legislation to establish a state earned income tax credit; and introduced legislation to establish a state earned income tax credit and eliminate the state income tax liability for taxpayers with a gross increased income under 125% of the FPL. o Indiana enacted legislation to require a commission to study all state tax credits and determine their impact on individuals, business, and the state and determine their feasibility going forward. o Kansas introduced legislation to provide an income tax credit for household and dependent care needed to secure employment. o Kentucky introduced legislation to provide a tax credit for qualified preschool expenses between 2014 and 2019; introduced legislation to provide a tax credit for expenses related to the birth of a child when the mother gives the child up for adoption; and introduced legislation to create an earned income tax credit. o Massachusetts introduced legislation requiring the state to develop an outreach program to inform citizens of the availability of the federal earned income tax credit. o Maryland enacted legislation increasing the percentage of the federal earned income tax credit that residents may claim under the state s earned income tax credit. The percentages are 25.5% from 1/1/15 to 12/31/2015; 26% from 1/1/16 to 12/31/2016; 27% from 1/1/17 to 12/31/17; and 28% beginning 1/1/18 and introduced legislation to change the eligibility requirements of the state s earned income tax credit 50% of the federal earned income tax credit for individuals with a qualified child at least 6 years old, 75% of the federal earned income tax credit for individuals with a child at least 3 years old but not older than 5 years old, and 100% of the federal earned income tax credit for individuals with a child under the age of 2 years old. o Minnesota introduced legislation to expand the state s educational tax credit to qualified educational expenses related to the treatment of a child with dyslexia or other reading disorder, disability, or difficulty that restricts the child s ability to read and comprehend at the expected age level. o Missouri introduced legislation to change the income and percentages used to calculate the state s income tax; introduced legislation to phase out the state s income tax and replace it with a state sales tax; and introduced legislation to create a child income tax credit of $400 per child if single income is less than $46,100 or joint income less than $92,200. o Mississippi introduced legislation to provide a tax credit to individuals caring for a disabled child; introduced legislation to create individual development accounts for individuals below 200% of the FPL; and introduced legislation to create an income tax credit for low income families with children for educational expenses. o Nebraska introduced legislation to increase the child and dependent care tax credit. o New Mexico introduced legislation to increase the state s working families tax credit from 10% of the federal income tax credit to 17% of the federal income tax credit. o New York introduced legislation to establish a child care tax credit for children under 13 years old or disabled; introduced legislation to increase the amount of the state s earned income tax credit; introduced legislation providing a deduction for qualified child care expenses; and

7 introduced legislation providing a tax credit for household and dependent care services for individuals seeking employment o Oklahoma enacted legislation that will end the state s tax credit for expenses for child care businesses on 1/1/17. o Oregon introduced legislation to increase the amount of the state s earned income tax credit to 80% of the federal earned income tax credit and establish a child care tax credit. o Virginia enacted legislation extending the life of the state s enhanced earned income tax credit to 2018 and introduced legislation to establish a child care tax credit for child care expenses. o Wisconsin introduced legislation to change the definition of who is eligible for the state s earned income tax credit by allowing someone to claim a child even if the child does not have the same physical address provided that the individual meets a statutory definition of parent and introduced legislation providing a tax credit for household and dependent care services. State Commissions, Councils, and Task Forces o Alabama introduced legislation to add 5 more members to the existing 22 member Alabama Commission to Reduce Poverty. o Connecticut enacted legislation that adds the state housing commissioner, state agriculture commissioner, and the executive director of the state office of early childhood to the CT Child Poverty and Prevention Council. The legislation extends, until 2020, the reporting requirement of state agencies serving children to the state legislature. o Hawaii introduced legislation that establishes the Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force. o Illinois introduced legislation that establishes the School Poverty Task Force. o Massachusetts introduced legislation that establishes a special commission to investigate and study poverty reduction. o Mississippi introduced legislation that establishes a task force to study the impact of immigrants on poverty. o Pennsylvania adopted a resolution directing the Pennsylvania General Assembly s Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to examine current state efforts to reduce poverty and improve economic development and determine best practices the state can utilize. The committee is required to issue a report in June 2015 to the general assembly. o Tennessee enacted legislation that establishes the Poverty Task Force. o Vermont enacted legislation that allows members of the Vermont Poverty Council to meet an indefinite number of times during the legislative session, while still allowing the council to only meet 6 times when the legislature is not in session. o Vermont also issued an executive order creating the Governor's Council on Pathways Out of Poverty. Special Populations (select legislation) o California introduced legislation to establish a homeless bill of rights, which includes children and families. o California introduced legislation to create the Interagency Council on Homelessness.

8 o Connecticut introduced legislation to require the state to keep children in state custody unless they have a suitable residence. o District of Columbia enacted legislation that requires the DC Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Affairs the be included in the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness and to require the council to recommended best practices and services to address homeless LGBT youth. o Louisiana enacted legislation to provide greater access to child care services for homeless families. o Massachusetts introduced legislation to require the state to enter into performance based contracts with organizations to provide greater access to housing and reunification services for homeless youth. o Maryland enacted legislation to repeal Governor s Advisory Board on Homelessness and establishes an Interagency Council on Homelessness. o New Mexico introduced legislation to require state to develop a pilot program to provide housing services 50 families who do not have secure housing and have children who have been the subject of a child abuse and neglect investigation in select counties. State Public Benefit Programs o Legislation has been introduced in 41 states related to state public benefit programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Unemployment/Underemployment o Legislation has been introduced in 45 states related to unemployment/underemployment. November 5, 2014