BOSTON—State Senator Jason Lewis, House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones Jr., and State Representative Richard Haggerty joined their colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature to remove outdated and offensive terminology from state law.
The bill strikes the “r-word,” a derogatory slur for people with disabilities, along with other outdated terms and phrases out of state law and replaces them with current terminology such as “person with a disability.”
“Allowing this offensive terminology to exist in an official capacity has been extremely damaging,” said Senator Jason Lewis. “It is important that we keep our laws up-to-date and use language that uplifts people and communities instead of harming them. With this change, we are making sure the law correctly represents what we stand for in Massachusetts.”
“The House and Senate have taken an important step by removing outdated and offensive language used to describe individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities from the General Laws,” said Representative Bradley H. Jones, Jr. “These changes reject negative stereotypes and reaffirm the state’s commitment to treating all residents with dignity and respect.”
“The words we choose matter because they are a reflection of who we are as individuals and as a society,” said Representative Richard Haggerty. “This bill replaces outdated language that carries a negative connotation in our state’s General Laws when referring to persons with disabilities and continues our ongoing efforts to ensure that every Massachusetts resident is treated with the equal dignity and respect they deserve.”
After passing in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, this legislation was signed into law on June 12, 2026 by Governor Maura Healey.
