H.R. 6137

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6137 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6137

To require the Office of Management and Budget to consider revising the 
Standard Occupational Classification system to establish a separate 
code for direct support professionals, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 19, 2025

Mr. Fitzpatrick (for himself and Mr. Morelle) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Office of Management and Budget to consider revising the 
Standard Occupational Classification system to establish a separate 
code for direct support professionals, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Recognizing the Role of Direct 
Support Professionals Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) Direct support professionals play a critical role in 
the care provided to individuals with intellectual and 
developmental disabilities by providing a wide range of 
supportive services on a day-to-day basis to promote 
independence, including--
(A) enhancing independence and community inclusion 
of these individuals, including through travel and 
recreation, visiting friends and family, shopping, or 
socializing;
(B) coaching and supporting individuals in 
communicating needs, achieving self-expression, 
pursuing personal goals, living independently, and 
participating actively in employment or voluntary roles 
in the community;
(C) providing assistance with activities of 
independent daily living (such as feeding, bathing, 
toileting, and ambulation) and with tasks such as meal 
preparation, shopping, light housekeeping, laundry, and 
home management; or
(D) supporting individuals at home, work, school, 
or any other community setting.
(2) Through the support of direct support professionals, 
individuals are able to lead self-directed lives within their 
own communities.
(3) Providers of home- and community-based services are 
experiencing difficulty hiring and retaining direct support 
professionals, with a national turnover rate of 39 percent, as 
identified in a 2023 study by the National Core Indicators.
(4) High turnover rates can lead to instability for 
individuals receiving services, and this may result in 
individuals not receiving enough personalized care to help them 
reach their goals for independent living.
(5) A discrete occupational category for direct support 
professionals will help States and the Federal Government--
(A) better interpret the shortage in the labor 
market of direct support professionals; and
(B) collect data on the high turnover rate of 
direct support professionals.
(6) The Standard Occupational Classification system is 
designed and maintained solely for statistical purposes, and is 
used by Federal statistical agencies to classify workers and 
jobs into occupational categories for the purpose of 
collecting, calculating, analyzing, or disseminating data.
(7) Occupations in the Standard Occupational Classification 
system are classified based on work performed and, in some 
cases, on the skills, education, or training needed to perform 
the work.
(8) Establishing a discrete occupational category for 
direct support professionals will--
(A) correct an inaccurate representation in the 
Standard Occupational Classification system;
(B) recognize these professionals for the critical 
and often overlooked work that they perform for the 
disabled community, which work is different than the 
work of a home health aide or a personal care aide; and
(C) better align the Standard Occupational 
Classification system with related classification 
systems.

SEC. 3. REVISION OF STANDARD OCCUPATIONAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM.

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall, as part 
of the first revision of the Standard Occupational Classification 
system occurring after the date of enactment of this Act, consider 
revising the Standard Occupational Classification system to establish a 
separate code for direct support professionals as a healthcare support 
occupation.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

If, after carrying out section 3, the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget decides not to establish a separate code for 
direct support professionals in the Standard Occupational 
Classification system, the Director shall, by not later than 30 days 
after the first revision of the Standard Occupational Classification 
system occurring after the date of enactment of this Act, submit a 
report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Workforce of the House 
of Representatives explaining the Office of Management and Budget's 
decision.

SEC. 5. NO NEW FUNDS.

No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act.
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