105 Participants Representing 15 Companies, 26 States and 59 Congressional Districts Took Part in DSA’s Annual Advocacy Event
(WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 23, 2026) — As policymakers in Washington and the states consider how independent work is defined, direct sellers arrived on Capitol Hill today to explain why they chose independence over traditional employment and ask lawmakers to protect that choice.
The Direct Selling Association’s (DSA) 2026 Direct Selling Day on Capitol Hill brought together 105 participants, including 87 independent direct sellers and 18 company executives, staff members and team leaders. The delegation represented 15 companies, 26 states and 59 congressional districts.
“Across the country, decisions about independent work are already moving forward. What’s being decided right now is whether people will continue to have the right to choose independence,” said Dave Grimaldi, CEO of the Direct Selling Association. “When someone explains why they pursued independence instead of employment, and how that choice actually works in their life, it helps policymakers understand why the right to choose independence matters.”
Delegates asked lawmakers to support H.R. 3495, the Direct Seller and Real Estate Agent Harmonization Act, and help bring it to the House floor for a vote. They also invited members to join the bipartisan Congressional Direct Selling Caucus and meet the direct sellers who live and work in their districts.
H.R. 3495 would align the treatment of direct sellers and qualified real estate agents under the Fair Labor Standards Act with their classification in the federal tax code. The bill has cleared the House Committee on Education and Workforce and is awaiting House consideration.
Nationwide, 5.2 million full- and part-time direct sellers have chosen the channel to build independent businesses, according to the 2026 Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) Growth & Outlook Study. The channel accounted for $34.2 billion in U.S. retail sales in 2025 and served 34.8 million customers.
The study also found a 6% increase in Hispanic participation over the past year and a 5% increase in revenue among service-based direct selling companies. These shifts illustrate how the channel is evolving in both who is participating and how entrepreneurs serve customers.
Hill Day continued the storytelling effort behind DSA’s “America at 250: Direct Selling, An All-American Story” campaign. The campaign’s video traces direct selling from its early days to the present, showing how people have used the channel to build businesses through periods of economic change. DSA has nearly tripled its library of firsthand direct-seller accounts; the September 23 meetings brought those experiences into congressional offices.
Beyond Hill Day, DSA is encouraging continued conversations between direct sellers and their representatives in their home districts. The association also continues to invite direct sellers across the country to submit their stories to DSA and explain why they chose independence and how that choice works in their lives.