H.R. 3420: Words Matter Act of 2025

The bill titled the "Words Matter Act of 2025" aims to update Federal law by replacing the terms "mentally retarded" and "mental retardation" with "individuals with intellectual disabilities" and "intellectual disability," respectively. This change is intended to reflect more current and respectful language regarding individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Key Provisions

The amendments addressed in this bill involve various sections of federal law, including but not limited to:

• Medical Care Contracts: Modifications to contracts for medical care involving spouses and children to use the term "intellectual disability."
• Mortgage Insurance: Changes to the definitions used in mortgage insurance for nursing homes and similar facilities to adopt the new terminology.
• Death Penalty Implementation: Alterations to laws governing the implementation of death sentences to replace "mentally retarded" with "individuals with intellectual disabilities."
• Indian Health Care Act: Updating definitions in various sections of this Act to include the new terminology.
• Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act: Broad changes to language regarding offenders and general program definitions to eliminate outdated terms.
• Public Health Services: Changes regarding training programs for direct care workers and criminal penalties related to health care programs by updating relevant language.
• Social Security Act and other programs: Numerous amendments to sections in the Social Security Act, including those involving long-term care facilities, grant provisions, and requirements for medical assistance programs.

Regulatory Adjustments

The legislation mandates that existing regulations that reference "mental retardation" or "mentally retarded" be interpreted as references to "intellectual disability" and "individuals with intellectual disabilities." These updates will be required to clarify that the previous terms are outdated and to ensure consistency in language across federal laws.

Impact on Coverage and Rights

The bill states that the amendments are not intended to change the coverage, eligibility, rights, responsibilities, or definitions stated in the amended provisions. Moreover, while it applies to federal laws, it does not compel states to adopt similar changes within their own laws.

Relevant Companies

None found.