Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act

This bill amends three sections of the District of Columbia Official Code to replace outdated and stigmatizing terms with current, respectful language. Specifically, it updates references to "substantially retarded persons" and "moderately mentally retarded" to "persons with moderate intellectual disabilities" in the jurisdiction definitions for the U.S. District Court, Superior Court, and Family Court. The changes directly affect how DC courts legally describe individuals in court proceedings and records. The bill makes no new policy or funding changes - it solely updates terminology to align with modern standards used in disability advocacy and law.