Words Matter Act of 2025

Updated Terminology in Medical and Care Settings: The bill replaces outdated language with "intellectual disability" or "individuals with intellectual disabilities" across many sectors, including medical care for spouses and children (Section 2(a)), nursing homes (Section 2(b)), and the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (Section 2(d) and 2(e)). This ensures that federal descriptions of people receiving care use current language.

Consistency in Criminal Justice Language: The bill updates the language used in the context of the death penalty (Section 2(c)), grant authority for crime control (Section 2(f)), and mental health courts (Section 2(g)). This replaces "mentally retarded" with "intellectual disability."

Improved Definitions in Social Programs: The bill updates language related to various social services, such as the Social Security Act (Section 2(j), 2(l), 2(m), 2(n), and 2(o)), the Child Nutrition Act (Section 2(q)), and the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (Section 2(s)). This shifts the focus from "combatting mental retardation" to "meeting the needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities" (Section 2(l)).

Clarification for Federal Regulations: To ensure a smooth transition, the bill mandates that federal agencies treat references to the old terms as references to the new terms in their regulations (Section 3).

No Change to Rights or Eligibility: According to the "Rule of Construction" in the bill, these changes are not intended to change the coverage, eligibility, rights, or responsibilities of the individuals covered (Section 4). Therefore, there are no direct negative impacts on the benefits people receive.

No Mandate for State Law Changes: The bill specifically states that it does not compel States to change the terminology used in their own State laws (Section 4). Consequently, people may still encounter the old terminology within their specific state-level legal or medical systems.