Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act

S. 402 proposes to amend Title 11 of the District of Columbia Official Code to modernize language used in the D.C. court system. Specifically, the bill would remove the term "retarded" and replace it with more respectful and current terminology such as "persons with moderate intellectual disabilities." The term appears three times in Title 11 of the D.C. Code. Because of the D.C. Home Rule Act, only Congress has the authority to make changes to Title 11 of the D.C. Code.

The bill has bipartisan support and has been endorsed by major disability advocacy organizations including the National Down Syndrome Society, the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, and Special Olympics. Supporters argue that while the term was once used clinically, it has become a slur and that updating the legal language reflects respect for the dignity of individuals with intellectual disabilities. This legislation follows Congress's 2010 passage of Rosa's Law, which removed similar terminology from other federal laws.