Walla Walla, WA – Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today released the following statement applauding Governor Inslee’s signing of the Washington State Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act:

“Having worked on the ABLE Act over the years in the U.S. House, I’m especially pleased to see our governor sign the Washington State ABLE Act into law.  This important effort will help empower those with disabilities in Eastern Washington and across the state to save for college, retirement, and other future expenses — a real, critical step in helping people like my son, Cole, achieve their dreams.”

Note: In 2014, McMorris Rodgers and a bipartisan group of lawmakers led the effort to pass the ABLE Act, which lets families who have a child with a disability save for their long-term care through 529-style savings accounts. The ABLE Act was a significant step forward and has been heralded as one of the most important pieces of disability legislation since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The ABLE Act was signed into federal law in early 2015.

Recently, on March 17, 2016, Rep. McMorris Rodgers joined Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Bob Casey (D-PA) and Representatives Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Pete Sessions (R-TX) to introduce a package of bills aimed at enhancing the ABLE Act. The ABLE to Work Act builds on the success of the ABLE Act by making it possible for disabled people who work to save a portion of their income in an ABLE account without risking loss of benefits. These bills will also allow rollovers to and from 529 college savings plans as well as raise the age for eligibility from 26 to 46.