Massachusetts Legislature Passes Bill to Remove Outdated and Offensive Terms in General Laws

Massachusetts Legislature Passes Bill to Remove Outdated and Offensive Terms in General Laws

Bill removes out-of-date and offensive terms related to persons with disabilities

(BOSTON—6/4/2026) The Massachusetts Legislature today passed a bill that removes outdated and offensive language in the General Laws to describe persons with disabilities.

The bill, S.2563, removes all variations of outdated terms such as “handicapped,” “disabled,” and the “r-word.”

The bill replaces these terms with current terminology such as “person with a disability.”

“As lawmakers, we know that words matter,” said Speaker of the House Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “This legislation is our latest effort to ensure that our state laws do not use antiquated words that carry negative connotations, words that also serve as a reminder of past injustices. I would like to thank Representatives Livingstone, Finn, and Garballey for their work on this important legislation, as well as our partners in the Senate for working with us to get these reforms to the Governor’s desk for her signature."

 “When dusty and dangerous relics of a bygone era darken our laws, it creates the potential for real harm to residents today,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Thanks to the voices of advocates like former Senate staff member Melissa Reilly and the leadership of Senator Jehlen and Senator Kennedy, the Legislature has acted to make our laws better represent who we are in 21st-century Massachusetts. With a White House that glorifies, and seemingly longs for, the days when many Americans were discriminated against because of who they are, now is the time to make sure our state laws respect and support the rights and dignity of our residents.”

“Removing out-of-date and offensive language from the Massachusetts General Laws to describe people with disabilities is an important step in ensuring that our values are also reflected in our statutes,” said Representative Jay D. Livingstone (D-Boston), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. “As legislators, it is our job to help make sure that people with intellectual or developmental disabilities feel included, accepted and embraced for who they are, and this is an important step in doing so.”

“An Act Dignifying Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities represents a significant step forward—not only in how we talk about disability, but in how we affirm the value and dignity of every person across the Commonwealth,” said Senator Robyn Kennedy (D-Worcester) Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities. “This bill updates 346 sections that includes language that is not only outdated but deeply hurtful and replaces those terms with modern, person-first language that centers respect, humanity, and inclusion. While this may seem like a small step on paper, it is a powerful act of recognition and at a time when disability rights are facing growing challenges at the federal level, this bill is a clear and necessary stand from the Commonwealth.”

"I am proud to support H5474 and take this long-overdue step toward ensuring the laws of the Commonwealth reflect the dignity and humanity of every person,” said Representative Michael J. Finn (D-West Springfield), sponsor of the House bill. “Our General Laws still contain outdated language that demeans our neighbors with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and that language has no place in the statutes of a state that has always led on civil rights and inclusion. Updating these words is an affirmation that Massachusetts stands for the respect and dignity of all its people. I would like to thank Speaker Mariano and Chair Michlewitz for their leadership in bringing this legislation forward."

“Today the House of Representatives takes a transformational step towards a more inclusive Commonwealth,” Representative Sean Garballey (D-Arlington), sponsor of the House bill. “By removing outdated words like ‘handicapped’, ‘disabled’, and the ‘R Word’ from MA General Laws, we make a collective statement that Massachusetts is a place for all. I’d like to thank Speaker Mariano, Chair Michlewitz, Chair Livingstone, Chair Finn, Senator Jehlen and our partners at The ARC of Massachusetts, Special Olympics, and many other disability organizations for their steadfast advocacy and support.”

 “Language is constantly changing.  And it's changing because of the activism of people who were ignored and demeaned for too long,” said Senator Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville), the Senate’s primary sponsor of the legislation. “When people tell us they feel insulted and offended by the use of outdated words, we worked to change the legal language.  It took a long time, because we kept finding more examples of offensive language. Language and activism will continue to evolve, and there'll always be more work to do, but this is a gigantic step forward in respect. Thanks to the many, many people who made this possible.”

Last year, the Massachusetts Legislature renamed the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) as MassAbility, a change that defines the agency’s role in supporting residents with disabilities to live independently.

The name change reflects the intention to empower individuals living with disabilities and move away from outdated terminology as the office undergoes broad changes towards a more expansive model for disability employment services and independent living.

The Massachusetts Legislature approved the bill today and sent to the Governor for her signature.