,,iii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #bjh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ca1
 #bjac ,mr4 ,cardin 7for himself1 ,ms4  
,collins1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,grassley1 
,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,rockefeller1 and ,mr4
 ,murphy7 submitted the following       
resolution2 which was considered and    
agreed to  ,,resolution  ,designating   
the week beginning ,september #h1 #bjac1
 as ,national ,direct ,support          
,professionals ,recognition ,week4      
,whereas direct support professionals1  
direct care workers1 personal           
assistants1 personal attendants1 in-home
 support workers1 and paraprofessionals 
7referred to in this preamble as direct 
support professionals7 are the primary  
providers of publicly funded long-term  
supports and services for millions of   
individuals2 ,whereas a direct support  
professional must build a close1 trusted
 relationship with an individual with   
disabilities2 ,whereas a direct support 
professional assists an individual with 

disabilities with the most intimate     
needs on a daily basis2 ,whereas direct 
support professionals provide a broad   
range of support1 including--  7#a7     
preparing meals2  7#b7 managing         
medications2  7#c7 bathing2  7#d7       
dressing2  7#e7 helping with mobility2  
7#f7 providing transportation to school1
 work1 and religious1 and recreational  
activities2 and  7#g7 helping with      
general daily affairs2  ,whereas a      
direct support professional provides    
essential support to help keep an       
individual with disabilities connected  
to the family and community of the      
individual2 ,whereas direct support     
professionals enable individuals with   
disabilities to live meaningful1        
productive lives2 ,whereas a direct     
support professional is the key to      
allowing an individual with disabilities
 to live successfully in the community  
and avoid more costly institutional     
care2 ,whereas the majority of direct   
support professionals are female1 and   

many are the sole breadwinners of their 
families2 ,whereas direct support       
professionals work and pay taxes1 but   
many are impoverished and are eligible  
for the same ,federal and ,state public 
assistance programs on which the        
individuals with disabilities served by 
the direct support professionals must   
depend2 ,whereas ,federal and ,state    
policies1 as well as the ,supreme ,court
 in ,olmstead v4 ,l4,c41 #ebg ,u4,s4    
#eha 7#aiii71 assert the right of an    
individual to live in the home and      
community of the individual2 ,whereas1  
in #bjac1 the majority of direct support
 professionals are employed in home- and
 community-based settings1 and this     
trend is projected to increase during   
this decade2 ,whereas there is a        
documented critical and growing shortage
 of direct support professionals in     
every community throughout the ,united  
,states2 and ,whereas many direct       
support professionals are forced to     
leave jobs due to inadequate wages and  

benefits1 creating high turnover and    
vacancy rates that research demonstrates
 adversely affects the quality of       
support provided to individuals with    
disabilities3 ,now1 therefore1 be it    
,that the ,senate--  7#a7 designates the
 week beginning ,september #h1 #bjac1 as
 ,national ,direct ,support             
,professionals ,recognition ,week2  7#b7
 recognizes the dedication and vital    
role of direct support professionals in 
enhancing the lives of individuals of   
all ages with disabilities2  7#c7       
appreciates the contribution of direct  
support professionals in supporting the 
needs that are beyond the capacities of 
millions of families in the ,united     
,states2  7#d7 commends direct support  
professionals as integral in supporting 
the long-term support and services      
system of the ,united ,states2 and  7#e7
 finds that the successful              
implementation of the public policies of
 the ,united ,states depends on the     
dedication of direct support            

professionals4