A release from Rep. Ander Crenshaw:
Congressman Ander Crenshaw (R-FL) led a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress and officials from disability advocacy groups in outlining the ABLE Act at a Capitol Hill news conference on Tuesday afternoon (11/15). The legislation, to create tax free-savings accounts for individuals with disabilities, was introduced in the House Tuesday afternoon and was expected to be introduced in the Senate later Tuesday afternoon.In July of last year, Rep. Crenshaw spoke of the idea:
Crenshaw, Congressman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Congressman Pete Sesssions (R-TX), Senator Robert Casey, Jr., (D-Pa), Peter V. Berns, CEO of The Arc, Peter Bell, Executive Vice President for programs and services for Autism Speaks, Sara Wolff, Member of National Down Syndrome Society Board of Directors, and officials from other disability advocacy groups spoke at the House Triangle press conference where a large group of supporters had gathered. Twenty-eight Members of the House and two Members of the Senate have to date signed on as original co-sponsors.
“Our tax code currently provides advantages to help Americans save for college and retirement, yet people with disabilities do not enjoy those same financial planning tools. These individuals and their families face enormous financial struggles that most of us cannot imagine,” said Crenshaw, a member of the House Appropriation Committee. “The ABLE Act helps ease those strains by making tax-free savings accounts available to cover qualified expenses such as education, housing, and transportation. No longer would individuals with disabilities have to stand aside and watch others use IRS-sanctioned tools to lay the groundwork for a brighter future. They would be able to as well, and that’s an accomplishment we all can be proud of.”
