ENABLE Act reintroduced to enhance ABLE Accounts

Bipartisan bill, endorsed by Autism Speaks, aims to permanently extend tax provisions for ABLE Accounts

February 21, 2025

The Ensuring Nationwide Access to Better Life Experience (ENABLE) Act, led by Senators Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Representatives Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11) and Donald Beyer (D-VA), was reintroduced in Congress on February 19, 2025. The ENABLE Act would improve the financial security of people with autism and other disabilities by permanently extending beneficial tax provisions related to ABLE Accounts, which allow people to save for disability-related expenses without jeopardizing other federal benefits. 

ABLE accounts are vital tools that help families save for expenses such as accommodations for working-age autistic adults, accessible housing and transportation, assistive technology, and raising a child on the spectrum. Originally established in 2014 by the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, ABLE accounts were created so that individuals with disabilities and their families could save and invest through tax-free savings accounts without jeopardizing eligibility for federal support programs (including Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income). Since then, ABLE policy has been expanded to improve access and savings opportunities. As of December 2024, there are $2.306 billion in assets invested in 195,542 ABLE accounts nationwide. 

The tax code provisions set to expire in 2025 that the ENABLE Act seeks to make permanent include:

  • ABLE to Work allows an individual with a disability who is employed to contribute an additional amount to their ABLE account beyond the standard limit. This additional contribution cannot be greater than either the prior year’s federal poverty level for a one-person household ($15,060 in 2024) or the beneficiary’s yearly gross income (up to $12,990 in 2022).
  • ABLE Saver’s Credit enables an individual with a disability to qualify for a non-refundable saver’s credit of up to $1,000 for qualified contributions made to their ABLE account.
  • The 529 to ABLE rollover permits the rollover of funds from 529 education savings accounts into ABLE accounts without incurring income taxes, provided the amounts are within the annual ABLE contribution limit.

By permanently extending key elements of ABLE policy, the ENABLE Act aims to provide individuals with disabilities and their families with greater certainty and stability in planning for their financial futures. Autism Speaks is proud to join a bipartisan coalition of congressional champions and other disability organizations in endorsing this legislation. Ask Congress to support the ENABLE Act!

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