ASK YOUR SENATOR AND CONGRESSMAN TO SIGN ONTO THE ABLE ACT

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ASK YOUR SENATOR AND CONGRESSMAN TO SIGN ONTO THE ABLE Act:

This Act Will Allow Families to Save Money For Children with Disabilities

The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) of 2009 (S 493/HR 1205), which is supported by over 40 national disability organizations has been introduced in both the U. S. Senate and U. S. House. The ABLE Act will give individuals with disabilities and their families the ability to save for their child's future just like every other American family, and help people with disabilities live full, productive lives in their communities.

The ABLE Act will allow individuals with disabilities and their families to create a disability savings account or 'ABLE Accounts' that would accrue interest tax-free. The account could fund a variety of essential expenses for the individual, including medical and dental care, education, community based supports, employment training, assistive technology, housing, and transportation. Importantly, the legislation prohibits amounts held by, or paid or distributed from any ABLE accounts from being treated as income or assets when determining eligibility for benefits provide by any Federal benefits program.

Asset development is one step toward improving economic self-sufficiency, and the legislation's focus on encouraging asset development will greatly incentivize people with disabilities to live more productive lives through earning and saving resources for their future.

ACTION REQUIRED:

Please call your congressmen and senators and ask them to co-sponsor this important piece of legislation.

Talking Points For When You Call Your Senators and Congressmen:

I am calling to ask my [Senator/Congressman] to co-sponsor the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) of 2009 (S 493/HR 1205) led by Senators Casey (D-PA), Hatch (R-UT), Dodd (D-CT), Brownback (R-KS), and Burr (R-NC) and Representatives Crenshaw (R-FL), Meek (D-FL), Kennedy (D-RI), and McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). The legislation encourages persons with disabilities to save in order to live an independent and meaningful life while reducing their dependency on public benefits. This legislation allows for the establishment of tax-exempt financial security accounts for individuals with disabilities to pay certain expenses, including: medical and dental care, education, community based supports, employment training, assistive technology, housing, and transportation.

My biggest issue with this bill is that our congress will undoubtedly find a way to load truckloads of pork onto this bill. I also don't know how this will help the perception of the disabled by giving them more government assistance, just outside the normal spectrum.

The problem I have is that I read the original post and it makes great sense. Then I read another post that criticizes the original post---and it makes sense too. It is like no matter what idea a person has, there are as many pros as their are cons to it. This is what makes politics so frustrating to me. I am getting to the point where I am no longer voting in elections or taking stands when it comes to politics. I think I will just go along for the political ride .

Sounds like a good idea. Too bad many parents with children who have disabilities lack substantial resources to contribute to such a fund. Sounds good on paper though.

It sounds like a great idea. I may decide to support it and start sending emails. The biggest problem I can see, besides the pork, is the fact that our government needs all the tax money it can get. As a young person who will be paying interest on the national debt for the rest of her life, expenditures and tax cuts scare me, no matter how worthy they sound.