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Casey promotes tax-advantaged savings accounts for disabled
Citizens' Voice, The (Wilkes-Barre, PA) - 4/17/2014
April 17--SCRANTON -- U.S. Sen. Bob Casey expressed hope Wednesday for quick Congressional passage of a bill to offer tax-advantaged savings accounts to people with disabilities.
"We are not there yet, but we are very close," Casey told about 50 people who turned out at the Arc of Northeastern Pennsylvania to hear the Scranton Democrat provide an update on the progress of the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act.
The legislation, which Casey introduced in February, would allow people with severe disabilities to establish special accounts to maintain their health, independence and quality of life. Qualified expenses would include education, transportation, housing, health and wellness, employment support and other financial obligations.
The bill has the backing of 70 senators and 359 House members, according to Casey's office. The accounts would be similar to tax-exempt college-savings plans.
"Why have we gone all these years without a vehicle to save for disability?" Casey asked. "They contribute so much to society."
He predicted Congressional action probably will follow soon after a report from the Congress Budget Office on the proposal's costs and financial impact.
Sara Wolff, a motivational speaker from Moscow and board member of the National Down Syndrome Society, praised Casey's efforts to advance the legislation. She was in the Senate gallery in February when Casey and Sen. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, introduced the bill.
"I need a way to save for my future," said Wolff, who has gathered more than 246,300 signatures in an online petition supporting the legislation. "The ABLE Act would do just that."
Elaine Jiminez, a Jessup mother of three autistic sons, endorsed the legislation as a way to improve conditions for people affected by autism.
"This provides a foundation for a sustainable quality of life," said Jiminez, founder of NEPA Aware, a support and education network for families affected by autism.
jhaggerty@timesshamrock.com
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