Bill would erase outdated disability terms from federal law
In markupH.R. 3420Latest action
Sponsor: Pete Sessions · Representative · TX
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: Words Matter Act of 2025
119th Congress
Topics: Health care
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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HR 3420 replaces terms like "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" across federal laws, without changing any rights or benefits.
35-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
HR 3420, the Words Matter Act of 2025, replaces outdated terms like "mentally retarded" and "mental retardation" with terms such as "intellectual disability" across many federal laws, including those on military healthcare, nursing homes, sentencing, Medicaid, school lunch programs, and civil rights protections. It also directs federal agencies to update regulations to match, while noting old terms for reference during the transition.
Who does it affect?
This affects government agencies, legal documents, and federal regulations. It does not require states to update their own laws.
Why does it matter?
The bill changes only terminology, not policy, and explicitly states no one's rights, benefits, eligibility, or legal protections will change as a result.
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Read the official bill on Congress.govMake the call
Where does it stand?
- IntroducedMay 15, 2025
- House committeeYou are here · Mar 26, 2026
- House vote
- Senate
- The president's desk
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.