Senator Hassan Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Recognize the Role of Direct Support Professionals

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) reintroduced a bill aimed at addressing the continued need for more Direct Support Professionals in the workforce.

Direct Support Professionals assist with communication, provide on-the-job coaching, and help with daily living needs for individuals who experience disabilities. Home- and community-based providers in New England and across the country struggle to recruit and retain Direct Support Professionals. The bill would more accurately measure the need for Direct Support Professionals by improving data on workforce trends collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Current methods of data collection have resulted in the underreporting of workforce needs and regional workforce shortages. The bipartisan legislation unanimously passed the Senate last year.

"Direct Support Professionals provide critical support for people who experience disabilities and their families and help ensure that individuals who experience disabilities can live independently and fully participate in their communities. As the mother of a son who experiences disabilities, I have seen first-hand the difference that these professionals make," said Senator Hassan. "By improving data collection, this bill will help local and federal lawmakers better understand and then address the shortage of Direct Support Professionals while also recognizing the important role these professionals have in the lives of many. I urge my colleagues to take up and pass this bill into law alongside other measures to support caregivers."

"Direct Support Professionals work hard to provide critical care and support to individuals with disabilities, allowing their patients to live more independently and with better quality of life," said Senator Collins. "We face a considerable shortage of information on the work DSPs do and the important services they provide. This bipartisan bill would address this information deficit by directing OMB to specifically collect data on Direct Support Professionals to help us better understand and address the challenges these workers experience."

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