Congress Introduces ANCOR-Led Bill to Address DSP Workforce Crisis Through Creation of SOC

ANCOR is thrilled to announce that legislation has been introduced in both chambers of Congress that would direct the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to create a Standard Occupational Code (SOC) for Direct Support Professionals.

Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Senate legislation, S.3369, while Representatives Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), John Katko (R-NY), Pete King (R-NY), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) and Kathleen Rice (D-NY) introduced the House companion, H.R. 6045.

ANCOR, which led the advocacy to introduce the bill and wrote a letter of support, has long made the establishment of a SOC for DSPs a legislative priority because the federal government currently does not collect employment data specific to DSPs. Our one-pager further explains why this action is badly needed. Furthermore, because BLS has indicated it will not revise any of its SOCs until 2028, we are thankful to the bipartisanship leadership of the bill’s sponsors in the House and the Senate for taking action to escalate this issue and accelerate the development of solutions.

We encourage our members in New Hampshire, Maine, New York and Pennsylvania to thank their members of Congress. For members in other states, please ask your congressional delegation to support this bill. We will share the bill numbers when they become available.

Editor’s Note: This bill will be one of three we will focus on during our March 26 Hill Day. Please email Doris Parfaite-Claude at [email protected] for more details on the Hill Day.