By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 281
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the use of respectful terminology in provisions of
Texas statutes relating to the deaf community.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 392.002, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 392.002. USE OF PERSON FIRST RESPECTFUL LANGUAGE
REQUIRED. (a) The legislature and the Texas Legislative Council
are directed to avoid using the following terms and phrases in any
new statute or resolution and to change those terms and phrases used
in any existing statute or resolution as sections including those
terms and phrases are otherwise amended by law:
(1) disabled;
(2) developmentally disabled;
(3) mentally disabled;
(4) mentally ill;
(5) mentally retarded;
(6) handicapped;
(7) cripple; and
(8) crippled.
(b) In enacting or revising statutes or resolutions, the
legislature and the Texas Legislative Council are directed to
replace, as appropriate, terms and phrases listed by Subsection (a)
with the following preferred phrases or appropriate variations of
those phrases:
(1) "persons with disabilities";
(2) "persons with developmental disabilities";
(3) "persons with mental illness"; and
(4) "persons with intellectual disabilities."
(c) The legislature and the Texas Legislative Council are
further directed to avoid using the terms "hearing impaired,"
"hearing loss," "auditory impairment," and "speech impaired," in
reference to a deaf or hard of hearing person in any new statute or
resolution. The legislature and the Texas Legislative Council shall
replace the terms in this subsection in existing statute or
resolution with the words "deaf" or "hard of hearing," as
appropriate.
(d) A statute or resolution is not invalid solely because it
does not employ this section's preferred phrases.