Access expanded for thousands of Tennesseans with disabilities to save and invest with ABLE TN

Governor signs ABLE TN Age Adjustment Act

NASHVILLE – Governor Bill Lee signed legislation expanding access to ABLE TN savings accounts for an estimated 148,000 additional Tennesseans with disabilities.

ABLE TN, Tennessee’s Achieving a Better Life Experience, is a program of the Tennessee Department of Treasury designed for Tennessee residents with disabilities to save and invest with tax-free earnings to help them maintain independence and quality of life.

The ABLE TN Age Adjustment Act, passed by the 114th Tennessee General Assembly, aligns with the federal ABLE legislation, raising the age eligibility for when a person’s disability began from 26 to 46. Starting Jan. 1, 2026, all eligible Tennessee residents with a disability that began before their 46^th birthday can open an ABLE TN account.

View video of the ABLE TN bill signing

Senator Becky Massey, who carried the age adjustment bill in the Senate, also sponsored the original legislation that allowed Tennessee to launch one of the first ABLE programs in the nation in 2016.

“As former Executive Director of the Sertoma Center, for 25 years I worked with adults who lived with intellectual disabilities, and I know the families that have greatly benefited from the savings possible in an ABLE TN account,” Senator Massey said. “This new law will help more adults save for their future without jeopardizing benefits crucial to their lives.”

“Changing the age eligibility will give opportunities to more Tennesseans, especially with the growth of Tennessee … now we’re over 7 million people,” said Rep. Jay Reedy, who sponsored the ABLE TN legislation in the House.

“ABLE TN made history when it came to Tennessee. Before ABLE, Tennesseans with disabilities had to choose between services and savings,” said Lauren Pearcy, executive director of the Council on Developmental Disabilities. “Now, thanks to the ABLE Age Adjustment Act, even more Tennesseans will be able to build financial stability and independence without losing needed services – for the first time in modern history. Countless lives, families, and communities across our state will benefit.”

“Expanding ABLE TN eligibility to age 46 will allow far more Tennessee veterans who have suffered severe injuries while serving our country to plan for those expenses and invest in their long-term future,” said Major General Warner A. Ross II, Commissioner and Adjutant General of the Tennessee Department of Military.

“I think it’s going to open up a lot more avenues for people with disabilities. It’s going to broaden the spectrum of who can be eligible for an ABLE TN account, and I think that’s going to be a great asset,” said Sen. Tom Hatcher, a co-sponsor of the bill. “I have a special needs niece myself, so we are hoping this will aid in some of her needs.”

“With the ABLE TN program, we are exercising our fiduciary duty to the fullest for Tennesseans,” said State Treasurer David H. Lillard Jr. “We pay very close attention to the investments offered in this program and how it’s operated. LaKesha Page is an excellent director, and we insist on the highest degree of excellence in delivering this service to Tennesseans, just like we do for every other program in the Tennessee Treasury. That’s what it means to have Tennesseans in charge of your savings in this respect.”

For more information about ABLE TN, go to ABLETN.gov.