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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Illinois ABLE program is a transformative
3tool for Illinoisans with disabilities and their families who
4want to save for additional expenses that come with living
5with a disability; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Before ABLE, people with disabilities lived with
7chronic financial insecurity, and only those with means had a
8real pathway to financial independence and to achieve the
9promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act to assure
10equality of opportunity, full participation, independent
11living, and economic self-sufficiency; and
 
12    WHEREAS, In 2014, a great bi-partisan victory was achieved
13when members of Congress joined together to pass the Stephen
14Beck Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, making
15it possible for people with disabilities to save for
16disability expenses without losing federal means-tested
17benefits, and more than 43 states plus the District of
18Columbia have launched ABLE programs since then; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly passed ABLE
20legislation in 2015, and Illinois now leads a 18-state
21National ABLE Alliance, representing approximately one-quarter
22of the ABLE eligible population nationwide; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Illinois ABLE was launched by the State
2Treasurer's Office in January 2017, and four years later, as
3of January 1, 2021, more than 1,900 Illinois ABLE accounts
4have been opened; approximately $17 million has been
5contributed to save for a wide range of qualified disability
6expenses, such as therapy, adaptive equipment, training,
7transportation, job coaching, housing, and more; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Illinois ABLE has created a pathway to greater
9financial independence for Illinoisans with disabilities and
10their families, incentivizes employment of people with
11disabilities, and increases economic self-reliance and
12person-centered independence for many individuals with
13disabilities; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The State Treasurer offers his thanks and
15heartfelt appreciation for the path that Illinois lawmakers
16blazed four years ago and acknowledges that we must build upon
17our progress to keep Illinois ABLE on the path to advancement
18through cooperation and collaboration with Illinois human
19services agencies and departments to accomplish the long term
20goals of the ABLE ACT; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Illinois human services agencies and departments,
22including the Illinois Department of Human Services, the

 

 

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1Division of Family and Community Services, the Division of
2Rehabilitation Services, the Division of Mental Health, the
3Division of Developmental Disabilities, the Division of
4Substance Use Prevention and Recovery, the Department of
5Children and Family Services, the Department of Healthcare and
6Family Services, the Department on Aging, and the Illinois
7State Board of Education can aid in the identification of
8ABLE-eligible persons and direct the dissemination of
9information about ABLE through a direct connection to
10approximately 300,000 people in the State of Illinois who are
11ABLE-eligible; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The State Treasurer recognizes these State
13agencies and departments for their excellent service to people
14with disabilities across the State and looks to achieve
15support from these agencies and departments in helping
16Illinoisans with disabilities achieve a better life experience
17through ABLE savings plans as they are essential to the
18continued success of Illinois ABLE; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
20HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
21SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we encourage these State
22agencies and departments to continue their efforts to train
23staff and share information about Illinois ABLE to the
24beneficiaries they serve; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
2delivered to the Illinois Department of Human Services, the
3Division of Family and Community Services, the Division of
4Rehabilitation Services, the Division of Mental Health, the
5Division of Developmental Disabilities, the Division of
6Substance Use Prevention and Recovery, the Department of
7Children and Family Services, the Department of Healthcare and
8Family Services, the Department on Aging, the Illinois State
9Board of Education, and the Treasurer's Office.