On Wednesday, Senate Bill 1332, fondly known as the “DSP SOC bill,” advanced by unanimously passing through the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee!
This legislation will help address the direct support workforce crisis through the creation of a standard occupational classification for direct support professionals (DSPs).
The lack of a standard occupational classification creates a system among states that leaves DSPs without consistent benchmarks for wage setting and policymakers without comprehensive data to make informed decisions about how to implement policies to strengthen the direct support workforce. The creation of an occupational classification for DSPs is necessary to begin to address a decades-long workforce crisis and will help bolster access to critical long-term home and community-based services for people with disabilities.
We are grateful for the leadership of Senator Hassan (D-NH) for her sponsorship of the legislation and Chair Peters (D-MI) and Ranking Member Paul (R-KY) for advancing the bill through the committee. We applaud this first step and look forward to continuing to work with Senate leaders to get the bill passed in the full Senate.
