[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20463]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN SUPPORT OF THE DIRECT PROFESSIONALS FAIRNESS AND SECURITY ACT OF 
                                  2004

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. LEE TERRY

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 30, 2004

  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the House's attention to 
the Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2004. 
This act was introduced today by myself and Representative Lois Capps. 
The Act provides temporary assistance to states who choose to 
participate to achieve pay parity between private and public direct 
support professionals who are essential components of our nation's 
formal long-term support system for individuals with disabilities.
  There are more than 54 million Americans with disabilities, 8 million 
of whom have mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. 
Nearly fourteen million require long-term supports and services. These 
supports include assistance to meet the individual's personal care and 
hygiene, habilitation, transportation, employment, meal preparation, 
housekeeping, and other home management needs--supports many of us 
often take for granted.
  The workers who provide services to the individuals with disabilities 
are known by many job titles--but one thing in common is shared by all 
of them. They are the hands, voice and face of long-term supports and 
the human relationship established between the individual and the 
worker is at the core of our nation's formal long-term supports system. 
Many are women and the sole income earners for their families. Although 
providing an essential service to humanity, many of them remain 
impoverished due to low wages that have not kept pace with those of 
other industries. Turnover rates for these dedicated workers range 
between 40 and 100 percent. This has caused a retention and recruitment 
crisis that threatens our ability to provide adequate supports to 
people with disabilities of all ages. Further, with such rampant 
turnover, many of the individuals with disabilities must face new, 
unfamiliar faces for their daily assistance and lose the support of 
those upon whom they have come to rely.
  The Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2004 
provides up to five years of temporary assistance in the form of 
increased Medicaid dollars to states who choose to participate. 
Participating states will direct these desperately needed funds 
directly to increase the wages of private direct support professionals 
providing essential daily supports to individuals with disabilities. 
States will have the incentive they need to create parity between 
public and nonprofit workers providing the same essential services.
  I ask my House colleagues to join me in support of the Direct Support 
Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2004.

                          ____________________