Help Us Pass the ABLE Act this Year!

ABLE Act Overview:

During the week of October 7th, disability organizations and advocates will team up to advocate for the passage of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act (S. 313/HR. 647). This important legislation would utilize the 529 college education saving account program to establish a savings tool for individuals with disabilities.

The bill currently has 268 cosponsors in the House and 46 cosponsors in the Senate. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation is being led by Reps. Van Hollen, Crenshaw, Sessions, and McMorris Rodgers and Sens. Casey and Burr.

You can find out if your two senators and representative are cosponsoring the ABLE Act of 2013 by clicking the links below:

Senate ABLE Act Cosponsors

House ABLE Act Cosponsors

The ABLE Act will utilize the 529 college education saving account program, and give individuals with disabilities and their families the ability to save for the future just like every other American family. The ABLE Act will help people with disabilities live full, productive lives in their communities without losing benefits provided through private insurances, the Medicaid program, the supplemental security income program, the beneficiary’s employment, and other sources.

How to Advocate:

Email Template to Request Cosponsorship

Senator/Representative:

My name is (insert your name) from (city, state).

I would like to ask you to cosponsor an important bill, the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act (S. 313/H.R. 647). This bipartisan, bicameral legislation was introduced Sens. Robert Casey, Jr., (D-PA) and Richard Burr (R-NC), and Reps. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Pete Sessions (R-TX). Currently, the ABLE Act has 268 cosponsors in the House and 46 cosponsors in the Senate.

The ABLE Act will utilize the 529 college education saving account program, in which thousands of Americans are already familiar. As with existing 529 accounts, contributions to ABLE accounts would grow tax free and would be easy and inexpensive to create. The ABLE Act provides individuals with disabilities the same types of flexible savings tools that all other Americans have through college savings accounts, health savings accounts, and individual retirement accounts.

The legislation also contains Medicaid fraud protection against abuse and a Medicaid pay-back provision when the beneficiary passes away. It will eliminate barriers to work and saving by preventing dollars saved through ABLE accounts from counting against an individual’s eligibility for any federal benefits program. 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, housing and transportation.

We would like your boss to cosponsor this important legislation for the disability community.

Sincerely,

Call-in Template(below is a sample call-in template for advocates)

Once you have the staffer on the line, open and introduce yourself with:

  • “Hello, I am calling to ask my [Senator/Representative] to be a cosponsor of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. Can I speak with your disability staffer?”
  • I am a constituent from your [State/District] and am a self-advocate, parent, sibling, grandparent, etc. from the [insert disability] community.

Talking Points to Mention During Your Call:

  • The ABLE Act (S. 313/HR 647) currently has over 268 cosponsors in the House and 46 in the Senate. This bipartisan bill was introduced by:
  • Senators Casey (D-PA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) as S. 313
  • Representatives Crenshaw (R-FL), McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Van Hollen (D-MD) as H.R. 647
  • The bill has been endorsed by over 50 national, state, and local disability organizations.
  • The ABLE Act will utilize the 529 college education saving account program, in which thousands of Americans are already familiar.
  • As with existing 529 accounts, contributions to ABLE accounts would grow tax free and would be easy and inexpensive to create. The ABLE Act provides individuals with disabilities the same types of flexible savings tools that all other Americans have through college savings accounts, health savings accounts, and individual retirement accounts.
  • The legislation also contains Medicaid fraud protection against abuse and a Medicaid pay-back provision when the beneficiary passes away. It will eliminate barriers to work and saving by preventing dollars saved through ABLE accounts from counting against an individual’s eligibility for any federal benefits program.
  • 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, housing and transportation.

If your Member is interested in signing on as a cosponsor, please have them contact:

Senate: Sen.Casey/Jennifer McCloskey ()

House: Rep. Crenshaw/Jennifer Debes ()

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