2.1.18
Suggested lead:
Lawmakers hope to give some special
Washington parents one less thing to worry about. Dan
Frizzell has more.
Wrap (:68 total):
SENN:
“An elderly woman was sharing with us her concerns about her adult child with
disabilities.
And she could not sleep at night because she wasn’t sure what was
going to become of her son.” [:10]
It’s a dilemma shared by every parent of a child with
disabilities: What will happen when we’re gone? That chance meeting got state
Representative Tana Senn thinking about a solution, and Thursday morning the
Mercer Island Democrat’s idea received a unanimous yes vote in the state House
of Representatives. If her bill becomes law, aging parents will be able to
transfer ownership of their family home to a non-profit supported-housing
concern in a tax-free transaction, saving thousands of dollars and, as Senn said
on the House floor,
SENN:
“They get peace of mind, their adult child with disabilities can stay in the
home for their lifetime, supported living gets more capacity, and we relieve the
Housing Trust Fund from having to buy or build homes for supported living.”
[:13]
By donating the homes to a non-profit rather than deeding
them to the adult child, Senn said, parents of adults with disabilities can
avoid the limitations on assets that could otherwise disqualify the survivor
from receiving essential services.
In Olympia, I’m Dan Frizzell.