N.C. enacts disability law to implement federal ABLE Act

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act into law on Tuesday. The law implements the federal ABLE Act, which Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) shepherded through the U.S. Senate on the way to President Obama’s desk, where it became law last year.

“The ABLE Act has been called the most significant piece of legislation affecting the disabled since passage of the (Americans With Disabilities Act) 25 years ago,” Burr said. “I got involved in this effort nearly eight years ago after families of severely disabled children came to me expressing the critical need for an easy way to save for their child’s future expenses, especially since many Americans with Down syndrome and autism are now outliving their parents. I am proud that my home state moved quickly to ensure North Carolina’s families will have this opportunity.”

Burr said that before the ABLE law was born, federal law was crafted in such a way that a family who had the resources and the desire to save and plan for that child’s future expenses was often advised not to do so, to ensure the family remained eligible for federal programs for the disabled family member.

“Unfortunately, for too long, our policies have focused on what an individual with a disability cannot do,” Burr said. “Not only has this been cruel, it has also been a reflection of our own failure to recognize the potential and meaning of each and every human life. The ABLE Act will help Americans with disabilities achieve their purpose and fulfill their God-given gifts.”