BOSTON - November 5, 2025 - Representative Mike Connolly joined his Cambridge and Somerville colleagues in the House of Representatives today to pass a bill that removes outdated and offensive language in the General Laws to describe persons with disabilities. The language in S.2563, An Act amending certain laws relative to individuals with disabilities removes all variations of outdated terms such as “handicapped,” “disabled,” and the “r-word.” The bill replaces these terms with current terminology such as “person with a disability.”

"As I said when the Legislature took initial steps last session, words matter, and this latest bill ensures we are using the right words in service of our constituents with disabilities," Representative Connolly said. "It's important that our constituents feel seen and are embraced for who they are in our statutes, and that we grow and learn from past injustices with respect to how we talk about our constituents. And this simple bill takes a meaningful step forward to do so."

Last year, the Massachusetts Legislature renamed the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) as MassAbility, a change that defines the agency’s role in supporting residents with disabilities live independently. The name change reflects the intention to empower individuals living with disabilities and move away from outdated terminology as the office undergoes broad changes towards a more expansive model for disability employment services and independent living.

The bill passed the House of Representatives 154-0 and now moves back to the Senate for further consideration.