To amend title 11, District of Columbia Official Code, to revise references in such title to individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMs. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill updates language in three sections of the District of Columbia's legal code to replace outdated and offensive terminology with respectful, person-first language when referring to individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Who Benefits and How
Individuals with intellectual disabilities benefit by having legal documents and court proceedings use respectful terminology ("persons with moderate intellectual disabilities") instead of derogatory terms. This change promotes dignity and aligns DC law with contemporary civil rights standards for disability terminology.
Who Bears the Burden and How
There is no meaningful burden. DC court staff and legal professionals working with the affected code sections will need to update their terminology, but this is a minor administrative adjustment with no compliance costs or substantive legal changes.
Key Provisions
- Changes DC Code Section 11-501(2)(D) to replace "substantially retarded persons" with "persons with moderate intellectual disabilities"
- Changes DC Code Section 11-921(a)(4)(D) to replace "substantially retarded persons" with "persons with moderate intellectual disabilities"
- Changes DC Code Section 11-1101(a)(15) to replace "at least moderately mentally retarded" with "persons with moderate intellectual disabilities"
- These sections relate to DC court jurisdiction and procedures involving individuals with intellectual disabilities
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Updates terminology in the District of Columbia Official Code to replace outdated language with person-first language for individuals with intellectual disabilities
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Modernize legal language to align with contemporary disability rights terminology and person-first language principles"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Individuals with intellectual disabilities
- Disability rights advocates
- DC court system
Likely Burden Bearers
- None - this is a technical correction with no substantive policy changes
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Replacement terminology for outdated terms in DC Official Code, using person-first language
Three specific sections being amended: 11-501(2)(D), 11-921(a)(4)(D), and 11-1101(a)(15)
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology