III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 817 

Designating the week beginning September 8, 2024, as ‘‘National Direct 

Support Professionals Recognition Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. KAINE, Mr. KING, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. WARREN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. BROWN, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mr. CASEY, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, and Ms. SMITH) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the week beginning September 8, 2024, as 

‘‘National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week’’. 

Whereas direct care workers, including direct support professionals, personal assistants, personal attendants, in-home 

support workers, and paraprofessionals, are key to providing publicly funded, long-term support and services for 

millions of individuals with disabilities; 

Whereas direct support professionals provide essential services that ensure that all individuals with disabilities are— 

(1) included as a valued part of the communities in 

which those individuals live; 

(2) supported at home, at work, and in the communities of the United States; and 


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(3) empowered to live with the dignity that all people of the United States deserve; 

Whereas, by fostering connections between individuals with 

disabilities and their families, friends, and communities, 

direct support professionals ensure that individuals with 

disabilities thrive and provide an alternative to institutional care; 

Whereas direct support professionals build close, respectful, 

and trusting relationships with individuals with disabilities and provide a broad range of personalized support 

to those individuals, including— 

(1) helping individuals make person-centered 

choices; 

(2) assisting with personal care, meal preparation, 

medication management, and other aspects of daily living; 

(3) assisting individuals in accessing the community 

and securing competitive, integrated employment; 

(4) providing transportation to school, work, religious, and recreational activities; 

(5) helping with general daily affairs, such as assisting with financial matters, medical appointments, and 

personal interests; and 

(6) assisting individuals in the transition to living in 

the communities of their choice; 

Whereas there is a critical and increasing shortage of direct 

support professionals throughout the United States, a 

crisis that was exacerbated by the COVID–19 pandemic, 

bringing uncertainty and risk to individuals with disabilities; 

Whereas direct support professionals do not have their own 

Standard Occupational Classification for the purposes of 


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Federal data collection, including data produced by the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor; 

Whereas the Director of the Office of Management and 

Budget should, as part of the current revision of the 

Standard Occupational Classification system, consider establishing a separate code for direct support professionals 

as a healthcare support occupation; 

Whereas the direct care workforce, including direct support 

professionals, is expected to be among the fastest growing 

occupations in the United States; 

Whereas many direct support professionals— 

(1) may be the primary financial providers for their 

families; 

(2) are hardworking, taxpaying citizens who provide 

a critical service in the United States; and 

(3) continue to earn low wages, receive inadequate 

benefits, and have limited opportunities for advancement, 

resulting in high turnover and vacancy rates that adversely affect the quality of support, safety, and health 

of individuals with disabilities; and 

Whereas the Supreme Court of the United States, in 

Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999)— 

(1) recognized the importance of the deinstitutionalization of, and community-based services for, individuals with disabilities; and 

(2) held that, under the Americans with Disabilities 

Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), a State must provide person-centered, community-based service options to 

individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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1 (1) designates the week beginning September 8, 

2 2024, as ‘‘National Direct Support Professionals 

3 Recognition Week’’; 

4 (2) recognizes the dedication and vital role of 

5 direct support professionals in enhancing the lives of 

6 individuals with disabilities; 

7 (3) appreciates the contribution of direct sup8 port professionals in supporting individuals with dis9 abilities in the United States and the families of 

10 those individuals; 

11 (4) commends direct support professionals for 

12 being integral to the provision of long-term support 

13 and services for individuals with disabilities; 

14 (5) acknowledges the nearly 2,000 comments 

15 regarding supporting the inclusion of a Standard 

16 Occupational Classification category for direct sup17 port professionals; and 

18 (6) finds that the successful implementation of 

19 public policies affecting individuals with disabilities 

20 in the United States can depend on the dedication 

21 of direct support professionals. 

Æ 


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