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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) 
3programs are important tools for Illinoisans with disabilities 
4and their families to save for the additional expenses that 
5accompany living with a disability; ABLE accounts help to 
6build health, quality of life, and independence for people 
7with disabilities while protecting federal benefits and 
8encouraging employment; and
 
9    WHEREAS, ABLE programs offer a diverse range of investment 
10options, tax-deferred growth, and withdrawals free of state 
11and federal taxes when those withdrawals are used for a broad 
12range of qualified disability expenses, including education, 
13job coaching, transportation, accessible equipment, health and 
14wellness, and assistive technology; and
 
15    WHEREAS, In 2016, the Illinois General Assembly passed the 
16enabling legislation for the Senator Scott Bennett Illinois 
17Achieving a Better Life Experience account program (Illinois 
18ABLE) to create a pathway to greater financial independence 
19for Illinoisans with disabilities and their families; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The State Treasurer's Office serves as the 
21trustee and administrator for the Illinois ABLE program, and 
22currently, more than 7,100 Illinois ABLE accounts have been 
 
 
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1opened with more than $101 million contributed since the 
2launch of the program in January 2017; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The Illinois ABLE program has helped Illinoisans 
4with disabilities and their families pay for approximately $40 
5million in qualified disability expenses to build greater 
6self-sufficiency and to help meet the needs of individuals who 
7live with disabilities in Illinois; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Under Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs' leadership, 
9a 19-member, bi-partisan consortium of states provides 
10high-quality, low-cost ABLE programs for more than a quarter 
11of ABLE-eligible people with disabilities nationwide; the 
12consortium includes Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, 
13Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, 
14Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North 
15Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and the District of 
16Columbia; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Today's average Illinois ABLE account balance of 
18approximately $12,000 is illustrative of the greater economic 
19independence and financial freedom achieved by account owners 
20with disabilities who are no longer trapped in a life of 
21chronic financial insecurity due to asset restrictions imposed 
22by their federal benefits programs; and
 
 
 
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1    WHEREAS, August 14, 2025 is National ABLE Savings Day; 
2therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL 
4ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare August 14, 
52025 as Illinois ABLE Savings Day; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
7delivered to the Illinois State Treasurer's Office.