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House Passes Programs For Intellectually Disabled Children

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Wikimedia Commons
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The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

Two bills headed for Gov. Rick Scott's desk are intended to help move the state to the cutting edge in providing educational and financial opportunities for children with intellectual disabilities.

The Florida House gave final passage Friday to a bill (SB 642) that allows tax-free savings accounts for the disabled, with the contents not counted against eligibility for Medicaid or Social Security disability payments.

It also passed a bill (SB 602) to increase the number of children eligible for vouchers for special education programs for disabled children, adding those with autism and muscular dystrophy.

The bills are part of a package pushed in this year's legislative session by state Senate President Andy Gardiner, who has a son with Down Syndrome and has become a champion of rights for the disabled.