SENATE RESOLUTION 312--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 8, 2019, AS ``NATIONAL DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS RECOGNITION WEEK''; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 146
(Senate - September 12, 2019)
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[Page S5478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 312--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 8,
2019, AS ``NATIONAL DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS RECOGNITION WEEK''
Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. King, Mr. Brown, Mr.
Markey, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms.
Hassan, Mr. Jones, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Casey, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Harris,
Mrs. Murray, Ms. Rosen, and Mr. Kaine) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
S. Res. 312
Whereas direct support professionals, including direct care
workers, 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
support that ensures that 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
(3) empowered to live with dignity;
Whereas all communities have a stake in ensuring that
individuals with disabilities thrive through the connections
of the individuals to their families, friends, and
communities, fostered by the direct support professionals of
those individuals;
Whereas home and community-based services driven by the
direct support professional workforce can result in cost
efficiency and better outcomes relating to support and
services for individuals with disabilities;
Whereas direct support professionals support individuals
with disabilities by helping those individuals make person-
centered choices that lead to meaningful, productive lives;
Whereas direct support professionals build close,
respectful, and trusting relationships with individuals with
disabilities;
Whereas direct support professionals provide a broad range
of individualized support to individuals with disabilities,
including--
(1) assisting with the preparation of meals;
(2) helping with medication;
(3) assisting with bathing, dressing, and other aspects of
daily living;
(4) assisting with access to the environment of the
individuals;
(5) providing transportation to school, work, religious,
and recreational activities;
(6) helping with general daily affairs, such as assisting
with financial matters, medical appointments, and personal
interests; and
(7) meeting complex behavioral and medical needs;
Whereas there is a documented critical and increasing
shortage of direct support professionals throughout the
United States;
Whereas direct support professionals are a critical element
in supporting--
(1) individuals who are receiving health care services for
severe chronic health conditions and individuals with
functional limitations; and
(2) the successful transition of individuals from medical
events to post-acute care and long-term support and services;
Whereas many direct support professionals are the primary
financial providers for their families;
Whereas direct support professionals are hardworking,
taxpaying citizens who provide an important service to people
with disabilities in the United States, yet many 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;
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. 12101 et seq.), a State must provide community-
based services to persons with intellectual and developmental
disabilities if--
(A) the community-based services are appropriate;
(B) the affected person does not oppose receiving the
community-based services; and
(C) the community-based services can be reasonably
accommodated after the community has taken into account the
resources available to the State and the needs of other
individuals with disabilities in the State; and
Whereas, in 2019, the majority of direct support
professionals are employed in home- and community-based
settings and that trend will increase over the next decade:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the week beginning September 8, 2019, as
``National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week'';
(2) recognizes the dedication and vital role of direct
support professionals in enhancing the lives of individuals
with disabilities of all ages;
(3) appreciates the contribution of direct support
professionals in supporting individuals with disabilities and
their families in the United States;
(4) commends direct support professionals for being
integral to the provision of long-term support and services
for individuals with disabilities;
(5) encourages the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
Department of Labor to collect data specific to direct
support professionals; and
(6) finds that the successful implementation of the public
policies affecting individuals with disabilities in the
United States can depend on the dedication of direct support
professionals.
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