Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act

This bill amends three sections of the District of Columbia Official Code to update outdated and potentially offensive terminology used in court jurisdiction rules. It replaces phrases like "substantially retarded persons" and "at least moderately mentally retarded" with the more respectful and current term "persons with moderate intellectual disabilities" in the U.S. District Court, Superior Court, and Family Court codes. The change directly affects how DC courts legally refer to individuals with intellectual disabilities in jurisdictional contexts. The bill makes a concrete policy shift to align legal language with modern, person-centered terminology.