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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Illinois ABLE program is a transformative tool
3for Illinoisians with disabilities and their families who want
4to save for additional expenses that come with living with a
5disability; 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 disability
16expenses without losing federal means-tested benefits, and
17more than 42 states plus the District of Columbia have launched
18ABLE programs since then; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly passed ABLE
20legislation in 2015, and Illinois now leads a 17-state National
21ABLE Alliance, representing approximately one-quarter of the
22ABLE eligible population nationwide; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Illinois ABLE was launched by the State
2Treasurer's Office in January 2017, and three years later, as
3of January 1, 2020, more than 1,200 Illinois ABLE accounts have
4been opened; approximately $10 million has been contributed to
5save for a wide range of qualified disability expenses, such as
6therapy, adaptive equipment, training, transportation, job
7coaching, housing, and more; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Illinois ABLE has created a pathway to greater
9financial independence for Illinoisians 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 support
15from these agencies and departments in helping Illinoisians
16with disabilities achieve a better life experience through ABLE
17savings plans as they are essential to the continued success of
18Illinois ABLE; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
20HUNDRED FIRST 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.