The legislature and the Texas Legislative Council must avoid certain disability-related phrases in new statutes or resolutions and replace them with preferred person-first language.
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." (b-1) In addition to the terms and phrases listed in Subsection (a), the legislature and the Texas Legislative Council are directed to avoid using in any new statute or resolution "hearing impaired," "auditory impairment," and "speech impaired" in reference to a deaf or hard of hearing person, and the legislature and the Texas Legislative Council are directed to replace, when enacting or revising a statute or resolution, those phrases with "deaf" or "hard of hearing," as appropriate. (c) A statute or resolution is not invalid solely because it does not employ this section's preferred phrases. Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 272 (H.B. 1481), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2011. Amended by: Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 233 (S.B. 281), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.