Michelle Diament for Disability Scoop reports that a newly approved $1.7 trillion federal spending bill will bring more funding for special education while expanding access to ABLE accounts and addressing the use of electric shock on people with disabilities.
The legislation, which funds the government through September, was signed by President Joe Biden just before the start of the new year.
It includes over $15 billion for special education, a $904 million jump over last year, and it extends Money Follows the Person, a Medicaid program that helps people with disabilities move from institutions to community-based living, through September 2027.
In addition, the measure increases the eligibility age for ABLE accounts, a special savings vehicle that allows people with disabilities a way to save money without jeopardizing their government benefits.