Under current law, individuals with disabilities face barriers to finding and holding employment and living independently because their access to certain safety-net programs can be lost once they establish a minimum level of savings and income

Bill will establish new tax advantaged savings accounts to allow people with disabilities and their families to save for their futures and help cover important expenses like education, housing and wellness 

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced that a bipartisan bill she supported to help people with disabilities save for their future has passed the Senate and is now headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law. Under current law, individuals with disabilities face barriers to finding and holding employment and living independently because their access to certain safety-net programs can be lost once they establish a minimum level of savings and income. The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act will establish new tax advantaged savings accounts to allow people with disabilities and their families to save for their futures and help cover important expenses like education, housing and wellness.

“When my daughter was born, she couldn’t swallow for nearly two years and the doctors didn’t know what was wrong with her. We were very fortunate in that it ended up being a temporary problem and she ultimately didn’t have a disability. But those two years gave me a unique perspective on what families with disabilities go through every day,” Klobuchar said. “This action will help achieve a better life for millions of Americans with disabilities across the country, and is a great example of the type of bipartisan, commonsense work we need to do more of in the year ahead.”

The ABLE Act is supported by more than 70 organizations and health care professionals, including the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Autism Society of America, Autism Speaks, the Brain Injury Association of America, Easter Seals, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, the National Disability Institute, the National Down Syndrome Society, the National Federation of the Blind, and The ARC.

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