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Designating DSPs as a distinct SOC occupation improves visibility for planning, training, and resource allocation for people with disabilities, but it does not itself raise pay or staffing and may cause short-term disruptions in labor statistics.
People with disabilities and state governments will get more accurate counts of direct support professionals (DSPs), enabling better-targeted policymaking, service delivery, and workforce planning because DSPs are tracked under a distinct SOC code.
Direct support professionals and other direct-care workers will gain formal occupational recognition, which can support creation and targeting of workforce development programs and tailored training.
Policymakers and community service providers will have improved data to plan for the DSP shortage and allocate funding to help individuals with disabilities remain in community-based settings.
Direct support professionals and employers will see no guaranteed increase in wages or staffing levels because creating a new SOC code alone does not change pay or fill vacancies.
State governments and health systems may face temporary complications in trend analysis because reclassifying DSPs can make short-term labor statistics less comparable across years.
Urges the Office of Management and Budget to consider creating a distinct Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code for direct support professionals (DSPs) — workers who provide home- and community-based long-term supports for people with disabilities. It states findings about the essential role of DSPs, a nationwide worker shortage worsened by COVID‑19, and the lack of a separate federal occupational code for this workforce. The resolution asks OMB to consider listing DSPs as a healthcare support occupation in the next SOC revision to improve federal data collection and recognition of the workforce. The resolution is a non‑binding statement (a preamble and request) rather than a law that creates programs or spending. If the SOC code recommendation is adopted, it could improve how federal agencies measure and track direct care workers, which can affect planning, research, and policy for long‑term services and supports.
Introduced October 15, 2025 by Susan Margaret Collins · Last progress October 15, 2025