| Passed by the House April 20, 2009 Yeas 92 ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 15, 2009 Yeas 46 ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Barbara Baker, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 1835 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
| Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 61st Legislature | 2009 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/30/09. Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs.
AN ACT Relating to using respectful language in state laws; amending RCW 44.04.280; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 44.04.280 and 2004 c 175 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The legislature recognizes that language used in reference to
individuals with disabilities shapes and reflects society's attitudes
towards people with disabilities. Many of the terms currently used
diminish the humanity and natural condition of having a disability.
Certain terms are demeaning and create an invisible barrier to
inclusion as equal community members. The legislature finds it
necessary to clarify preferred language for new and revised laws by
requiring the use of terminology that puts the person before the
disability.
(2)(a) The code reviser is directed to avoid all references to:
Disabled, developmentally disabled, mentally disabled, mentally ill,
mentally retarded, handicapped, cripple, and crippled, in any new
statute, memorial, or resolution, and to change such references in any
existing statute, memorial, or resolution as sections including these
references are otherwise amended by law.
(b) The code reviser is directed to replace terms referenced in (a)
of this subsection as appropriate with the following revised
terminology: "Individuals with disabilities," "individuals with
developmental disabilities," "individuals with mental illness," and
"individuals with ((mental retardation)) intellectual disabilities."
(3) No statute, memorial, or resolution is invalid because it does
not comply with this section.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 The code reviser is directed to submit a
recommendation to the legislature, in the form of a bill, concerning
replacement of the phrase "mental retardation" with the phrase
"intellectual disability" and making other perfecting changes that may
be required, throughout the Revised Code of Washington. The code
reviser shall consult with legislative committee staff and other
interested or affected parties. The recommendation must be submitted
to the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and the
senate by December 1, 2009.