Thursday, November 14, 2013

Help Us Get Senator Nelson as a Cosponsor and Pass the ABLE Act this Year!

ABLE Act Overview:

During the week of November 11th, the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) will team up with Florida Down syndrome Advocates to urge Senator Bill Nelson to join his fellow Florida Senator and ALL Florida Representatives as a cosponsor of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act (S. 313/HR. 647).This important legislation would utilize the 529 college education saving account program to establish a savings tool for individuals with disabilities.

The bill currently has 283 cosponsors in the House and 47 cosponsors in the Senate. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation is being led by Reps. Van Hollen, Crenshaw, Sessions, and McMorris Rodgers and Sens. Casey and Burr.

The ABLE Act will utilize the 529 college education saving account program, and give individuals with disabilities and their families the ability to save for the future just like every other American family. The ABLE Act  will help people with disabilities live full, productive lives in their communities without losing benefits provided through private insurances, the Medicaid program, the supplemental security income program, the beneficiary’s employment, and other sources.

How to Advocate:

1)      Issue an ABLE Act action alert to your grassroots
a.       Email/Letter template
b.      Call-in template

2)      Utilize Social Media to advocate for the ABLE Act
a.       Twitter sample tweets


For more information or questions, feel free to contact NDSS VP of Advocacy & Affiliate Relations Sara Weir at sweir@ndss.org or 202-465-3222.

Email Template to Request Cosponsorship

Senator Nelson:

My name is (insert your name) from (city, state).

I am a constituent and I would like to ask you to cosponsor an important bill, the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act (S. 313/H.R. 647). This bipartisan, bicameral legislation was introduced Sens. Robert Casey, Jr., (D-PA) and Richard Burr (R-NC), and Reps. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Pete Sessions (R-TX). Currently, the ABLE Act has 283 cosponsors in the House and 47 cosponsors in the Senate.

The ABLE Act will utilize the 529 college education saving account program, in which thousands of Americans are already familiar. As with existing 529 accounts, contributions to ABLE accounts would grow tax free and would be easy and inexpensive to create. The ABLE Act provides individuals with disabilities the same types of flexible savings tools that all other Americans have through college savings accounts, health savings accounts, and individual retirement accounts. The legislation has been endorsed by almost 100 organizations from the disability, provider, religious, and aging community.

Currently, there are significant limitations for low and middle class families to save for their children and adults with disabilities. As an example, a Special Needs Trust, which is taxed at the highest tax rate of 39%, is available for individuals with disabilities and their families but is complex and expensive and not all of our families can afford the cost.

The ABLE Act aims to ease financial strains faced by individuals with disabilities by making tax-free savings accounts which will help our low income families. 

The legislation also contains Medicaid fraud protection against abuse and a Medicaid pay-back provision when the beneficiary passes away. It will eliminate barriers to work and saving by preventing dollars saved through ABLE accounts from counting against an individual's eligibility for any federal benefits program. This legislation allows for the establishment of tax-exempt financial security accounts for individuals with disabilities to pay certain expenses, including: medical and dental care, education, community based supports, employment training, housing and transportation.

Senator Nelson you are the ONLY member of Congress from Florida not cosponsoring the ABLE Act! I ask that you join your fellow Senator and ALL Florida Representatives to cosponsor this important legislation for the disability community!

Sincerely,

Call-in Template (below is a sample call-in template for advocates)

Senator Bill Nelson
DC Office #: (202) 224-5274

Once you have the staffer on the line, open and introduce yourself with:
·         “Hello, I am calling to ask my [Senator] to be a cosponsor of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. May I speak with your tax staffer?”

·         I am a constituent from your [State/District] and am a self-advocate, parent, sibling, grandparent, etc. from the [insert disability] community.

 Talking Points to Mention During Your Call:
·         The ABLE Act (S. 313/HR 647) currently has over 283 cosponsors in the House and 47 in the Senate. This bipartisan bill was introduced by:
o    Senators Casey (D-PA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) as S. 313
o    Representatives Crenshaw (R-FL), McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Van Hollen (D-MD) as H.R. 647

·         The bill has been endorsed by over 50 national, state, and local disability organizations.

·         The ABLE Act will utilize the 529 college education saving account program, in which thousands of Americans are already familiar.

·         As with existing 529 accounts, contributions to ABLE accounts would grow tax free and would be easy and inexpensive to create. The ABLE Act provides individuals with disabilities the same types of flexible savings tools that all other Americans have through college savings accounts, health savings accounts, and individual retirement accounts.

·         The legislation also contains Medicaid fraud protection against abuse and a Medicaid pay-back provision when the beneficiary passes away. It will eliminate barriers to work and saving by preventing dollars saved through ABLE accounts from counting against an individual’s eligibility for any federal benefits program.

·         This legislation allows for the establishment of tax-exempt financial security accounts for individuals with disabilities to pay certain expenses, including: medical and dental care, education, community based supports, employment training, housing and transportation.

·         Currently, there are significant limitations for low and middle class families to save for their children and adults with disabilities. As an example, a Special Needs Trust, which is taxed at the highest tax rate of 39%, is available for individuals with disabilities and their families but is complex and expensive and not all of our families can afford the cost

·         Senator Nelson is the ONLY member of Congress from Florida not cosponsoring the ABLE Act! I ask that the Senator join his fellow Senator and ALL Florida Representatives to cosponsor this important legislation for the disability community!

If the Senator is interested in signing on as a cosponsor, please have them contact:
Senate: Sen. Casey/Jennifer McCloskey (Jennifer_Mccloskey@casey.senate.gov)
 


Senator Nelson - Social Media Template

Please utilize social media to contact Senator Bill Nelson to cosponsor the ABLE Act. Click on the Twitter icon below to connect directly with Senator Nelson.  It only takes a couple of seconds to post and tweet!


·         @SenBillNelson Please join your fellow 47 Senators and 283 Reps and cosponsor #ABLEAct (S 313/HR 647) today.  #disabilities #passtheABLEAct

·         @SenBillNelson My child needs your support of the #ABLEAct (S 313/HR 647) so they can earn a living and live independently! #passtheABLEAct

·         @SenBillNelson The #ABLEAct (S 313/HR 647) is crucial to FL families! Cosponsor today! #disabilities #passtheABLEAct

·         @SenBillNelson  Join your fellow FL Senator and ALL FL Reps and cosponsor #ABLEAct (S 313/HR 647) today. #disabilities #passtheABLEAct

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