I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6137 
To require the Office of Management and Budget to consider revising the 
Standard Occupational Classification system to establish a separate code 
for direct support professionals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 19, 2025 
Mr. FITZPATRICK (for himself and Mr. MORELLE) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce 
A BILL 
To require the Office of Management and Budget to consider 
revising the Standard Occupational Classification system 
to establish a separate code for direct support profes-
sionals, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Recognizing the Role 
of Direct Support Professionals Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Direct support professionals play a critical 
role in the care provided to individuals with intellec-
tual and developmental disabilities by providing a 
wide range of supportive services on a day-to-day 
basis to promote independence, including— 
(A) enhancing independence and commu-
nity inclusion of these individuals, including 
through travel and recreation, visiting friends 
and family, shopping, or socializing; 
(B) coaching and supporting individuals in 
communicating needs, achieving self-expression, 
pursuing personal goals, living independently, 
and participating actively in employment or vol-
untary roles in the community; 
(C) providing assistance with activities of 
independent daily living (such as feeding, bath-
ing, toileting, and ambulation) and with tasks 
such as meal preparation, shopping, light 
housekeeping, laundry, and home management; 
or 
(D) supporting individuals at home, work, 
school, or any other community setting. 
(2) Through the support of direct support pro-
fessionals, individuals are able to lead self-directed 
lives within their own communities. 
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(3) Providers of home- and community-based 
services are experiencing difficulty hiring and retain-
ing direct support professionals, with a national 
turnover rate of 39 percent, as identified in a 2023 
study by the National Core Indicators. 
(4) High turnover rates can lead to instability 
for individuals receiving services, and this may result 
in individuals not receiving enough personalized care 
to help them reach their goals for independent liv-
ing. 
(5) A discrete occupational category for direct 
support professionals will help States and the Fed-
eral Government— 
(A) better interpret the shortage in the 
labor market of direct support professionals; 
and 
(B) collect data on the high turnover rate 
of direct support professionals. 
(6) The Standard Occupational Classification 
system is designed and maintained solely for statis-
tical purposes, and is used by Federal statistical 
agencies to classify workers and jobs into occupa-
tional categories for the purpose of collecting, calcu-
lating, analyzing, or disseminating data. 
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(7) Occupations in the Standard Occupational 
Classification system are classified based on work 
performed and, in some cases, on the skills, edu-
cation, or training needed to perform the work. 
(8) Establishing a discrete occupational cat-
egory for direct support professionals will— 
(A) correct an inaccurate representation in 
the Standard Occupational Classification sys-
tem; 
(B) recognize these professionals for the 
critical and often overlooked work that they 
perform for the disabled community, which 
work is different than the work of a home 
health aide or a personal care aide; and 
(C) better align the Standard Occupational 
Classification system with related classification 
systems. 
SEC. 3. REVISION OF STANDARD OCCUPATIONAL CLASSI-
FICATION SYSTEM. 
The Director of the Office of Management and Budg-
et shall, as part of the first revision of the Standard Occu-
pational Classification system occurring after the date of 
enactment of this Act, consider revising the Standard Oc-
cupational Classification system to establish a separate 
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code for direct support professionals as a healthcare sup-
port occupation. 
SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
If, after carrying out section 3, the Director of the 
Office of Management and Budget decides not to establish 
a separate code for direct support professionals in the 
Standard Occupational Classification system, the Director 
shall, by not later than 30 days after the first revision 
of the Standard Occupational Classification system occur-
ring after the date of enactment of this Act, submit a re-
port to the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Edu-
cation and Workforce of the House of Representatives ex-
plaining the Office of Management and Budget’s decision. 
SEC. 5. NO NEW FUNDS. 
No additional funds are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this Act. 
Æ 
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