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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="18-19C-02" title_number="18" title_name="Student Financial Assistance" subtitle_number="19C" subtitle_name="Maryland Able Program">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall establish a Maryland ABLE Program that shall be subject to the provisions of § 529A of the Internal Revenue Code.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>It is the goal of the State that the Maryland ABLE Program be fully operational by October 1, 2017.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The purpose of the Maryland ABLE Program is to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Encourage and assist individuals and families in saving private funds to support individuals with disabilities to maintain health, independence, and quality of life; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Provide secure funding for disability–related expenses on behalf of designated beneficiaries with disabilities that will supplement, not supplant, benefits provided through private insurance, the Medicaid program under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, the Supplemental Security Income program under Title XVI of the Social Security Act, the beneficiary’s employment, and any other source.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall administer, manage, and promote the Maryland ABLE Program.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall administer the Maryland ABLE Program in compliance with Internal Revenue Service standards for qualified ABLE programs.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall work in consultation with the Department of Disabilities to administer, manage, and promote the Maryland ABLE Program.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The State Treasurer may collaborate and participate with other states or entities to administer, manage, and promote the Maryland ABLE Program, including participating with a consortium of states that are implementing ABLE programs in those states or as a consortium of states.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The State Treasurer shall adopt procedures relating to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Enrollment for participation in the Maryland ABLE Program and any other procedures that the State Treasurer considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this subtitle; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The establishment and operation of an ABLE account by a person other than a designated beneficiary as described in § 18–19C–04 of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>At least annually, the State Treasurer shall issue to each ABLE account holder a statement that provides a separate accounting for each designated beneficiary providing the following information with respect to each account:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The beginning balance;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Contributions to the account;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Distributions from the account during the previous year; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Ending ABLE account value.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
