The Senate and House have cleared the passage of a year-end $1.7 trillion appropriations bill that will affect people with disabilities on several fronts.

The bill, which runs more than 4,000 pages and includes a wide variety of legislation, heads to President Biden next for his signoff.

If you have a child with disabilities, it is crucial to set money aside for the child’s future. At the same time, you need to consider your child’s access to public benefit programs such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), as well as the state and federal tax implications. The two major vehicles to accomplish these goals, ABLE accounts and special needs trusts (SNTs), each have their advantages and limitations. Using them in tandem may be the optimal strategy for your child with special needs.