[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 122 (Thursday, July 31, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5234-S5235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 532--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 7, 
  2014, AS ``NATIONAL DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS RECOGNITION WEEK''

  Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Brown, Mr. 
Casey, Mr. Franken, Mr. Grassley, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Manchin, 
Mr. Markey, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Portman, Mr. Rockefeller, and Ms. Warren) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 532

       Whereas direct care workers, personal assistants, personal 
     attendants, in-home support workers, and paraprofessionals 
     (referred to in this preamble as ``direct support 
     professionals'') are the primary providers of publicly-funded 
     long-term support and services for millions of individuals 
     with disabilities;
       Whereas direct support professionals must build a close, 
     respectful, and trusted relationship with individuals with 
     disabilities;
       Whereas direct support professionals assist individuals 
     with disabilities with intimate personal care assistance on a 
     daily basis;
       Whereas direct support professionals provide a broad range 
     of individualized support, including--
       (1) preparation of meals;
       (2) helping with medications;
       (3) assisting with bathing and dressing;
       (4) assisting individuals with physical disabilities with 
     access to their environment;
       (5) providing transportation to school, work, religious, 
     and recreational activities; and
       (6) helping with general aspects of daily living, such as 
     financial matters, medical appointments, and personal 
     interests;
       Whereas direct support professionals provide essential 
     support to help keep individuals with disabilities connected 
     to family, friends, and community;
       Whereas direct support professionals support individuals 
     with disabilities in making choices that lead to meaningful, 
     productive lives;
       Whereas direct support professionals are the key to helping 
     individuals with disabilities to live successfully in the 
     community, and to avoid more costly institutional care;
       Whereas the participation of direct support professionals 
     in medical care planning is critical to the successful 
     transition from medical events to post-acute care and long-
     term support and services;
       Whereas the majority of direct support professionals are 
     the primary financial providers for their families and often 
     work multiple jobs to make ends meet;
       Whereas direct support professionals are a critical element 
     in supporting individuals who are receiving health care 
     services for severe chronic health conditions and individuals 
     with with functional limitations;
       Whereas while direct support professionals work and pay 
     taxes, many direct support

[[Page S5235]]

     professionals earn poverty-level wages and are therefore 
     eligible for the same Federal and State public assistance 
     programs on which individuals with disabilities served by 
     direct support professionals must also depend;
       Whereas Federal and State policies assert the right of 
     certain individuals with a disability to live in a 
     residential setting in the community, or an institutional 
     setting of their choice, and the Supreme Court of the United 
     States, in Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999), confirmed 
     that right for certain individuals;
       Whereas, as of 2014, the majority of direct support 
     professionals are employed in home and community-based 
     settings and this majority is projected to increase over the 
     next decade;
       Whereas there is a documented and increasing critical 
     shortage of direct support professionals throughout the 
     United States; and
       Whereas many direct support professionals are forced to 
     leave their jobs due to inadequate wages and benefits and 
     limited opportunities for advancement, creating demonstrated 
     high turnover and vacancy rates, which adversely affect the 
     quality of support and the safety and health of individuals 
     with disabilities: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week beginning September 7, 2014, as 
     ``National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week'';
       (2) recognizes the dedication of direct support 
     professionals and the vital role direct support professionals 
     have 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) identifies direct support professionals as integral to 
     long-term support and services for individuals with 
     disabilities; and
       (5) finds that the successful implementation of the public 
     policies affecting individuals with disabilities in the 
     United States depends on the dedication of direct support 
     professionals.

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