ATLANTA (December 3, 2015) | Today, Sen. Fran Millar (R – Atlanta), along with other state legislators, announced their intentions to file legislation that will ease financial strains faced by individuals with disabilities. The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act operates through an existing federal program to make a tax-free savings account available to cover qualified expenses such as education, housing, and transportation.
“I’m proud to stand with colleagues from the House and Senate to advocate for our constituents who are facing a variety of challenging circumstances,” said Sen. Millar. “We all ran for public office to make a difference in people’s lives. The ABLE Act will really help individuals with disabilities in our state as well as their families.”
Structured similar to an education savings 529 account, an ABLE account may fund a variety of essential expenses for individuals including medical and dental care, education, community-based supports, employment training, assistive technology, housing and transportation. These expenses are not considered for the supplemental security income (SSI) program, Medicaid, and other federal means-tested benefits, which limit currently personal assets at $2,000. Eligibility is limited to individuals with significant disabilities that onset before 26 years of age.
“As legislators in the General Assembly we are challenged with finding how to best deal with serious problems,” said Rep. Scot Turner (R – Holly Springs). Per Rep. Lee Hawkins (R – Gainesville), “This legislation can be a real difference-maker for members of the disability community.”
Sen. Renee Unterman (R – Buford) also voiced her support for the legislation. Because the bill addresses Georgia’s budgetary revenue, it will originate as a House Bill per state constitutional guidelines. The bill will likely be assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee. Many other states have already implemented the ABLE Act, and other states are in the process of implementing the law.
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For Immediate Release:
December 3,2015
For Information Contact:
Jennifer Yarber, Director
Brett Johnson, Broadcast Specialist
Brett.Johnson@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028