A Massachusetts bill would remove the ‘r-word’ and ‘disability’ from state laws
NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
The Massachusetts legislature passed a bill that would remove “outdated and derogatory language” used to describe people with disabilities from the state’s General Laws.
The measure would remove a variety of terms, including “handicapped,” “disabled,” and the “r-word” in favor of language such as “people with disabilities” and “person with an intellectual or developmental disability.”
The bill, introduced by Democratic state Sen. Pat Jehlen and listed by 17 co-sponsors, is now headed to the desk of Democrat Gov. Maura Healey.
The 61-page bill revises 346 sections of Massachusetts law.
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IS ‘OFFENDED’ WHEN SPEAKER SAYS ‘HOMELESS’ INSTEAD OF ‘HOWLESS’
The 61-page bill revises 346 sections of Massachusetts law. (Getty Images)
“Language is always changing. And it is changing because of the activists of people who have been ignored and degraded for a long time,” said Sen. Pat Jehlen, who is the main sponsor of the Senate of this legislation, in a statement. “When people told us they felt insulted and offended by the use of outdated words, we worked to change the official language. It took a long time, because we kept getting more examples of offensive language. Language and activism will continue to evolve, and there will always be more work to do, but this is a big step forward in respect.”
Other revised language included in the bill includes replacing “disabled person” with “disabled person,” “handicapped” with “disability” and “handicapped” with words such as “person with intellectual or developmental disabilities.”
The law also bans words like “handicapped” and “handicapped” when referring to people with disabilities.
The measure would remove a variety of words, including “handicapped,” “handicapped,” and “the r-word.” (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group)
The term “hard of hearing” was revised to “deaf or hard of hearing” and “critically ill” was changed to “chronically ill.”
Additionally, the bill amends certain definitions in the law, including changing the current definition of “caregiver” — which defines a person or organization responsible for a “person with a disability” — to instead use the phrase “person with a disability.”
“When dirty and dangerous remnants of the past cloud our laws, it creates the potential for real harm to residents today,” Senate President Karen Spilka, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Thanks to the words of advocates like former Senator Melissa Reilly and the leadership of Senator Jehlen and Senator Kennedy, the Legislature has made our laws better represent who we are in Massachusetts in the 21st century.”
MASSACHUSETTS REDUCES EXTRA-STATE SENTENCING AUTHORITY
The bill is now headed to Democrat Gov. Maura Healey. (Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“With a White House that glorifies, and seems to yearn for, the days when many Americans were discriminated against because of who they were, now is the time to ensure that our country’s laws respect and uphold the rights and dignity of our citizens,” he added.
The measure’s passage comes on the heels of a 2024 law that renamed the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to MassAbility, which state officials said was part of a broader effort to modernize disability services and promote inclusion. That law also marked a broad shift in policies that state officials described as outdated or offensive.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
“As lawmakers, we know that words matter,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano, a Democrat. “This legislation is our latest effort to ensure that our state laws do not use outdated words with negative connotations, words that serve as reminders of past injustices.”
The bill passed with broad legislative support, including unanimous votes in both chambers.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Massachusetts GOP for comment.
