House OKs bill to widen federal help for disabled

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

In a bipartisan show of unity, the House overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to allow Americans with disabilities to open tax-free bank accounts to pay for expenses from education to housing and health care.

The 404-17 vote approves the most sweeping legislation to help the disabled since 1990, affecting as many as 54 million disabled people and their families who often struggle to pay for intensive forms of care. It now goes to the Senate, where it was expected to move quickly to passage in the coming days.

It would the first major legislation for the disabled since the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act.

Modeled after tax-free college-savings accounts, the bill would amend the federal tax code to allow states to establish the program.