[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 147 (Thursday, December 4, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H8368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                ABLE ACT

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud 
the House's work to advance H.R. 647, the Achieving a Better Life 
Experience, or ABLE, Act, which yesterday passed the House with broad 
bipartisan support.
  Under the current law, individuals with disabilities face significant 
barriers to finding and holding employment and living independently 
because their access to certain safety net programs can be lost once 
they establish a minimum level of savings and income. The ABLE Act aims 
to provide families of these individuals with some peace of mind by 
allowing them to save for their children's long-term disability 
expenses in the same way that families of able-bodied children can 
currently save for college through popular 529 investment plans.
  As a cosponsor of this legislation and having spent most of my 
professional career serving those facing life-changing disease and 
disability as a health care professional, I am proud of this bipartisan 
effort to empower individuals to live with greater dignity and 
independence.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that the Senate will act swiftly to pass 
this important legislation. These individuals and their families 
deserve as much.

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