The 'Words Matter Act' Cleans Up Federal Law, Replacing Outdated Terminology with 'Intellectual Disability'

The Words Matter Act of 2025 is a massive, sweeping effort to update federal language. It mandates the complete removal of the terms "mentally retarded" and "mental retardation" from every place they appear in federal law, replacing them uniformly with "intellectual disability" or "individuals with intellectual disabilities." This isn't just a handful of statutes; this change ripples across dozens of federal acts governing everything from healthcare and housing to criminal justice and food programs.

The Cleanup Crew: Where the Language Changes

This bill (Sec. 2) is essentially a giant find-and-replace operation across the U.S. Code, bringing federal language in line with modern, respectful terminology. For instance, when the Department of Defense addresses healthcare for military families (Title 10 U.S.C. § 1079), the conditions requiring care are now described as a "moderate to severe intellectual disability" instead of the previous, outdated phrasing. This shift affects how federal agencies talk about everything from mortgage insurance for care facilities under the National Housing Act to the definitions used in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

Perhaps the most significant change for many people involves federal programs like Medicaid. The bill updates Title XIX of the Social Security Act, changing references to "intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded" to "intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities." While this might seem small, it standardizes the language used in quality care standards and funding rules for facilities that serve millions of Americans. Similarly, the federal death penalty law (Title 18 U.S.C. § 3596(c)) is updated so that the condition preventing execution is now having an "intellectual disability."

What This Means for Your Benefits (And Why It Won’t Change)

If you or someone you care about receives benefits tied to these programs, the most important thing to know is that this is only a language change. Section 4, the “Rule of construction,” explicitly states that this Act is only about updating terminology and is not intended to change who qualifies for benefits, what rights people have, or what responsibilities different parties have. If you were eligible for a program yesterday, you are still eligible today, even though the name of the condition has changed in the statute.

This clarity is crucial because when Congress amends major social safety net laws like the Social Security Act, people get nervous about eligibility cuts. This bill makes it clear that the goal is dignity and consistency, not policy overhaul. Furthermore, this federal language swap doesn’t force state governments to change the terminology they use in their own state laws, though many already use the updated terms.

The Administrative Homework

While the law changes immediately, the government rules (regulations) that implement those laws take time to catch up. Section 3 tackles this by requiring that any existing government rule that mentions the old term must be read as if it already says "intellectual disability." When agencies eventually get around to officially rewriting those regulations, they must include a historical note, clearly stating that the term "intellectual disability" was previously known as "mental retardation." This requirement prevents confusion and ensures that the historical context of the rule is maintained during the transition period.