IV 

107TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 477

Expressing the sense of the Congress that community inclusion and enhanced 

lives for individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities is at serious risk because of the crisis in recruiting and retaining 

direct support professionals, which impedes the availability of a stable, 

quality direct support workforce. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2002

Mr. SESSIONS (for himself and Mrs. CAPPS) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 

the Workforce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that community inclusion and enhanced lives for individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities is at serious 

risk because of the crisis in recruiting and retaining 

direct support professionals, which impedes the availability of a stable, quality direct support workforce.

Whereas there are more than 8,000,000 Americans who have 

mental retardation or other developmental disabilities; 

Whereas individuals with developmental disabilities include 

those with mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, 

Down syndrome, epilepsy, and other related conditions; 
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•HCON 477 IH 

Whereas individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities have substantial limitations on their 

functional capacities, including limitations in two or more 

of the areas of self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency, as well as the continuous need for individually planned and coordinated services; 

Whereas for the past two decades individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities and their 

families have increasingly expressed their desire to live 

and work in their communities, joining the mainstream 

of American life; 

Whereas the Supreme Court, in its Olmstead decision, affirmed the right of individuals with mental retardation or 

other developmental disabilities to receive communitybased services as an alternative to institutional care; 

Whereas the demand for community supports and services is 

rapidly growing, as States comply with the Olmstead decision and continue to move more individuals from institutions into the community; 

Whereas the demand will also continue to grow as family 

caregivers age, individuals with mental retardation or 

other developmental disabilities live longer, waiting lists 

grow, and services expand; 

Whereas our Nation’s long-term care delivery system is dependent upon a disparate array of public and private 

funding sources, and is not a conventional industry, but 

rather is financed primarily through third-party insurers; 

Whereas Medicaid financing of supports and services to individuals with mental retardation or other developmental 
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•HCON 477 IH 

disabilities varies considerably from State to State, causing significant disparities across geographic regions, 

among differing groups of consumers, and between community and institutional supports; 

Whereas outside of families, private providers that employ direct support professionals deliver the majority of supports 

and services for individuals with mental retardation or 

other developmental disabilities in the community; 

Whereas direct support professionals provide a wide range of 

supportive services to individuals with mental retardation 

or other developmental disabilities on a day-to-day basis, 

including habilitation, health needs, personal care and hygiene, employment, transportation, recreation, and housekeeping and other home management-related supports 

and services so that these individuals can live and work 

in their communities; 

Whereas direct support professionals generally assist individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities to lead a self-directed family, community, and social life; 

Whereas private providers and the individuals for whom they 

provide supports and services are in jeopardy as a result 

of the growing crisis in recruiting and retaining a direct 

support workforce; 

Whereas providers of supports and services to individuals 

with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities typically draw from a labor market that competes 

with other entry-level jobs that provide less physically 

and emotionally demanding work, and higher pay and 

other benefits, and therefore these direct support jobs are 

not currently competitive in today’s labor market; 
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•HCON 477 IH 

Whereas annual turnover rates of direct support workers 

range from 40 to 75 percent; 

Whereas high rates of employee vacancies and turnover 

threaten the ability of providers to achieve their core mission, which is the provision of safe and high-quality supports to individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities; 

Whereas direct support staff turnover is emotionally difficult 

for the individuals being served; 

Whereas many parents are becoming increasingly afraid that 

there will be no one available to take care of their sons 

and daughters with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities who are living in the community; and 

Whereas this workforce shortage is the most significant barrier to implementing the Olmstead decision and undermines the expansion of community integration as called 

for by President Bush’s New Freedom Initiative, placing 

the community support infrastructure at risk: Now, 

therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Direct Support 

5 Professional Recognition Resolution’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING SERVICES OF DI7 RECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS TO INDIVID8 UALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. 

9 It is the sense of the Congress that the Federal Gov10 ernment and the States should make it a priority to ensure 
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•HCON 477 IH 

1 a stable, quality direct support workforce for individuals 

2 with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities 

3 that advances our Nation’s commitment to community in4 tegration for such individuals and to personal security for 

5 them and their families.

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