Bill targeting infant deaths in Ohio supports rushing family to lame-duck deadline • Ohio Capital Journal

The ways Ohio supports its children and addresses infant and maternal deaths could change if a group of lawmakers gets its way, but the changes might not kick in until next year.

Committees in both the Ohio House and Ohio Senate heard testimony this week on two bills aimed at supporting families with everything from pregnancy to early childhood education.

A bipartisan bill aimed at leveraging community resources called the Strong Foundations Act has been introduced in the Senate Finance Committee. infant and maternal mortality rates In a state that consistently ranks among the poorest performing states in the country.

“More mothers and babies die from pregnancy and birth-related causes in Ohio than in most states,” said State Rep. Andrea White, R-Kettering.

House Bill 7 It also aims to modernize Ohio’s participation in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition assistance program, as well as provide “strategic investments” that will lead to more home visiting, early intervention, and increased participation in early Head Start programs.

White said he and co-sponsor state Rep. Latyna M. Humphrey, D-Columbus, “want not only the moral imperative, but also the business case for passing Bill 7.”

The bill would allocate $34 million over two fiscal years to make an impact on pregnancy resources, child poverty, homelessness and even mental health; But according to White and Humphrey, the preventive steps the bill proposes will save the state more than it spends. The ripple effects of issues surrounding pregnancy and child development are just as important as the rest of the child’s life, sponsors told committee members.

“In our most vulnerable moments, having at least stable housing will provide a solid foundation for motherhood,” Humphrey said. “In addition, having stable housing will significantly reduce premature births, which have been proven to have direct effects on the health of mother and baby.”

Members of the Senate Finance Committee on both sides of the aisle expressed support for the bill, but some noted that its implementation could occur with the state’s operating budget to be approved in the next General Assembly.

“I like what I see here,” said state Sen. Louis Blessing, III, R-Colerain Twp., adding that the $34 million the bill calls for is far less than what the state has been able to collect from lists of unfunded tax expenditures.

“I think we can easily make it through the next budget cycle, especially if the General Assembly has the courage to go after some of these tax expenditures (if they are large),” he said.

Blessing also suggested that co-sponsors include a provision in the bill that would increase eligibility for the state’s Publicly Funded Child Care program to 200% of the federal poverty level.

“Of course we would support that,” White responded. “The reality is that Ohio is hitting rock bottom in terms of how we reimburse and the percentage of starting child care coverage.”

State Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson also praised the bill, especially the infant and maternal death supports it could help in her Lucas County. One of the districts with the highest infant mortality rates According to data from the Ohio Department of Health.

However, he also said that he did not expect the bill to advance in the current plenary session, citing the time required for the committee to take the measure. HB 7 was introduced in the Ohio House in February 2023, passed that chamber in June of this year, and was referred to the Senate Finance Committee at the end of that month, just before the legislature went into summer recess, which continues until after the session. vote.

Another bill that has been pending for more than a year has surfaced in the House Ways and Means Committee, but the fact that it is supported only by Democrats could mean an unexpected success in the GOP’s supermajority in both chambers.

House Bill 290Dubbed the Thriving Families Tax Credit by sponsors, it hopes to expand the federal child care tax credit expanded in the American Rescue Plan and provide a benefit of up to $1,000 and $500 per child ages 0 to 5 in a household. Sponsor state Rep. Lauren, D-Youngstown Families making less than $65,000 a year would be eligible for full assistance, according to McNally. The amount of aid and benefits will reduce household income by up to $85,000 per year.

“The Thriving Families Tax Credit starts with the full benefit of $65,000 because these Ohioans are paying more in state and local taxes as a result of all the tax loopholes and tax cuts Ohio has passed since 2005,” said McNally.

McNally said the bill was drafted in response to top issues like paying neighbors’ bills, buying school supplies for their children, filling their gas tanks and paying for sick leave. What McNally calls the “cost of living crisis” — suffering from daily expenses across the state — isn’t because Ohioans are slacking off.

“If you’ve spent any time with anyone from the (Mahoning) Valley, you know not to question our will and our work ethic,” McNally told the committee.

Since the bills were introduced this year, if they are not approved by the end of the lame duck session in December, the measure will have to be reintroduced in the next General Assembly.