HB1063
To Amend The Achieving A Better Life Experience Program Act; And To Amend The Definitions Of "disability Certification" And "eligible Individual" To Change Disability Onset Age From Twenty-six To Forty-six.
AI-Generated Summary
This bill proposes to amend the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Program Act in Arkansas. Specifically, it seeks to change the age requirement for disability onset for both "disability certification" and "eligible individual" definitions within the program. Currently, the ABLE program requires that a disability must have occurred before the individual attained twenty-six (26) years of age. This bill would raise that age limit to forty-six (46) years of age. The purpose of the ABLE program is to allow individuals with disabilities to save money without affecting their eligibility for certain public benefits. This change would broaden the pool of individuals potentially eligible for ABLE accounts. The bill specifies that the changes to the definitions will take effect on January 1, 2026. The text of the bill includes amendments to Arkansas Code § 20-3-103, subsections (4) and (5).
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
Individuals with disabilities who develop their qualifying disability between the ages of 26 and 46 would directly benefit from this bill, as they would now be considered "eligible individuals" for the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Program. This expansion of the program's eligibility criteria could allow a larger group of Arkansans to establish ABLE accounts, which provide tax-advantaged savings for disability-related expenses and protect eligibility for essential public benefits.
Who Might Suffer?
The bill does not explicitly identify any groups or entities that would be negatively impacted. However, any entity or program that relies on strict definitions of disability onset for eligibility or resource allocation purposes, and which is not modified to account for this change, could potentially experience indirect impacts. This could include state agencies or private organizations that coordinate with or administer benefits tied to the previous ABLE program eligibility criteria.