Latest news with #BetterLifeExperience
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Idaho Senate approves ABLE accounts bill by wide margin
Members of the Idaho Senate listen to proceedings on the Senate floor on Jan. 7, 2025, at the State Capitol Building in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) This story was first published by Idaho Reports on March 5, 2025. The Idaho Senate approved on Wednesday a bill to allow Idahoans with disabilities to save money for additional expenses, without the threat of losing coverage, sending it to the governor's desk for consideration. House Bill 26 passed the Senate in a 27-6 vote. ABLE accounts — an acronym for Achieving a Better Life Experience – allow people with disabilities who collect Social Security Income to save money for future qualifying needs, such as transportation, housing, or medical expenses. Without ABLE accounts, people with disabilities risk no longer qualifying for Social Security Income if they have more than $2,000 in their bank accounts, which discourages them from saving for expenses like car repairs, or medical care that isn't covered by insurance. The money in ABLE accounts doesn't count against the $2,000. Only people whose disability began before the age of 26 are eligible for ABLE accounts. Idaho Sen. Carl Bjerke, R-Coeur d'Alene, said this opens doors for people with disabilities, offering the example of a person who uses a wheelchair being unable to fix a broken wheelchair-accessible vehicle for work because they have no savings. 'It provides greater independence,' said Bjerke. Idaho is one of only three states in the country that does not yet have ABLE accounts. There is no cost to the state, because the new accounts are set up through a national consortium. The bill also establishes an advisory council for the Treasurer's Office, but at no additional cost. The bill now heads to the governor's office for consideration. He can either sign it, allow it to become law without his signature or veto it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
ABLE savings accounts bill for people with disabilities moves to Idaho Senate
The Idaho House of Representatives debate from the House floor on Feb. 10, 2025,, at the Statehouse in Boise. (Ruth Brown/Idaho Reports) On Monday the Idaho House of Representatives moved forward a bill that allows Idahoans with disabilities to set up an account to save money additional money for their care. ABLE accounts — an acronym for Achieving a Better Life Experience – allow people with disabilities who collect Social Security Income to save money for future qualifying needs, such as transportation, housing or medical expenses. Under current law, Idahoans are in jeopardy of no longer qualifying for Social Security Income if they have more than $2,000 in their accounts, which discourages them from saving for expenses like car repair, or medical care that isn't covered by insurance. The money in ABLE accounts doesn't count against the $2,000. Only people whose disability began before the age of 26 are eligible for ABLE accounts. Idaho is one of only three states in the country that does not yet have ABLE accounts. There is no cost to the state for setting up the accounts through the national consortium. 'It helps us all, if somebody that has a disabled person in their house, if they have savings to take care of those emergency bills or take care of things, rather than going to the state or different resources that come out of our tax dollars,' said bill sponsor Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa. Should it pass the Senate, the bill would establish an Idaho ABLE Account Advisory Council to advise the Idaho state treasurer and the executive director of the Idaho State Independent Living Council regarding policies and action that enhance the outreach, marketing and education of the Idaho ABLE Account Program. Rep. Kent Marmon, R-Caldwell, voted against the bill. 'I'm not in favor of creating an advisory board that's gonna cost the taxpayers money,' Marmon said. Rep. James Petzke, R-Meridian, noted in his debate that members of that advisory council are unpaid, so that's not an expense to the state. 'I think it's a fantastic thing we should have done it a long time ago,' Petzke said. The bill passed 56-13 and now heads to the Senate. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
