Words Matter Act of 2025

The "Words Matter Act of 2025" seeks to modernize federal terminology by systematically removing the outdated and offensive terms "mentally retarded" and "mental retardation." This legislation mandates their replacement with the contemporary and person-first language of "intellectual disability" and "individuals with intellectual disabilities" throughout numerous federal statutes. The bill amends a wide array of federal laws, including those pertaining to medical care for military families, mortgage insurance, the implementation of death sentences, Indian health care, criminal justice programs, and various sections of the Social Security Act. These changes ensure consistent and respectful language across diverse areas such as long-term care facilities, Medicaid programs, child nutrition, and the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. Furthermore, the Act provides specific guidance for federal agencies on updating their regulations to reflect these new terms. It explicitly states that a reference to "mental retardation" in existing regulations should be considered a reference to "an intellectual disability," and similarly for "the mentally retarded." Crucially, the bill includes a rule of construction clarifying that these amendments are solely linguistic and do not intend to alter any existing coverage, eligibility, rights, responsibilities, or definitions within the amended provisions, nor do they compel states to change their own terminology.