Sponsors (2)
The bill prioritizes better federal tracking and recognition of direct care occupations to improve supports for people with disabilities and workforce planning, but the change could slow immediate fixes and may lead to increased federal costs.
People with disabilities could get more reliable, community-based long-term supports because policymakers would have better data on direct care workforce shortages.
Direct care and support workers would gain greater recognition in federal occupational data, improving workforce planning and making targeted recruitment, training, and career-path efforts more likely.
State and local governments could allocate long-term services and supports resources more effectively if occupational classifications distinguish direct support professionals during the SOC revision.
People with disabilities and their providers could face delays in receiving immediate workforce-related policy fixes while agencies take time to create and implement a new SOC code.
Taxpayers could see higher federal costs if improved data lead to targeted recruitment, training, or wage interventions to address shortages.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Urges OMB to consider creating a distinct SOC code classifying direct care workers as a healthcare support occupation to improve federal data and workforce planning.
Official title: Designating the week beginning September 7, 2025, as "National Direct Support Professionals Week".
Introduced October 15, 2025 by Susan Margaret Collins · Last progress October 15, 2025
Urges the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to consider creating a distinct Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code for direct care workers — including direct support professionals, personal assistants, personal attendants, in‑home support workers, and paraprofessionals — during the current SOC revision. The resolution describes workforce shortages, the role these workers play in providing publicly funded long‑term supports and community‑based alternatives to institutional care, and the lack of a separate SOC code that hampers federal data collection and policy planning. The measure highlights that the direct care workforce forms close, personalized relationships with the people they serve, was strained by the COVID‑19 pandemic, and is projected to be among the fastest‑growing occupations; it asks OMB to treat these occupations as a distinct healthcare support category to improve data, workforce planning, and recognition.