SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) introduced Assembly Bill 449 to help people with disabilities save for the future. AB 449, the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, allows people with disabilities to open special accounts where they can save without risking eligibility for Social Security and other government programs. ABLE accounts are similar to the widely used 529 education savings plan but would be used for disability related expenses.
“AB 449 provides people with disabilities a path to employment and greater independence and dignity,” said Assemblymember Irwin. “The costs of caring and providing for someone with disabilities can be enormous. This bill will give families and individuals a tool to save money to support the needs of people with disabilities.”
According to the National Down Syndrome Society, a person diagnosed with a disability cannot have assets worth more than $2,000 or earn more than $680 per month without forfeiting eligibility for government programs like Medicaid and SSI. This can have the effect of discouraging people with disabilities from working and saving. The ABLE Act will allow people with disabilities to earn money and save without losing access to essential safety net programs such as Medi-Cal and Social Security.
“When my daughter was born with Down syndrome, the nurse told of the amazing potential of people like my daughter, but also of limits our government puts on their ability to contribute,” said Brad Pitzele, a proponent of AB 449. “I am excited to see Assemblymember Irwin give my daughter – and all Californians with disabilities – the opportunity to achieve and contribute to their full potential. There is great self-worth and dignity that comes from demonstrating one's capabilities and achieving for one's self.”
The Federal ABLE Act was signed into law by President Obama with widespread bipartisan support in December 2014. Each state must take action to be able to offer the accounts to its residents. Money put into ABLE accounts can be used to support education, housing, transportation, employment training, health, personal support services, and other expenses approved under federal regulations to benefit the person with a disability.
Assemblymember Irwin’s website: http://asmdc.org/irwin
Jacqui Irwin was elected in November 2014 to represent California’s 44th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Camarillo, Casa Conejo, Channel Islands Beach, El Rio, Lake Sherwood, Moorpark, Oak Park, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Rosa Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Westlake Village.