S. 349 would permit non-elderly individuals with disabilities to establish their own special needs trusts without having to file a petition with a court, which CBO expects would reduce the amount of time before such a trust is established. Because assets held in such trusts are not counted toward Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) asset tests, effectively lowering the eligibility threshold for those programs, enacting the bill would allow some Medicaid and SSI benefits to be drawn sooner.
CBO estimates that the bill would increase direct spending by $8 million over the 2016-2025 period. Because enacting the legislation would affect direct spending; pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.
S. 349 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
