Minnesota Proposes Bill to Update State Statutes that Refer toDevelopmentally Disabled

February 21, 2005 Minnesota Proposes Bill to Update State Statutes that Refer to Developmentally Disabled On January 29, 2005, Minnesota legislators proposed a bill to update state statutes to better reflect current and respectful terms for developmentally disabled individuals. The bill is to erase terms, such as "mental retardation," "handicapped," and "idiot" from state statutes.  The proposal will remove the outmoded and derogatory terminology by replacing the terms with language, including "people with disabilities," "developmentally disabled person," and "disabled people." The state's statutes have not been updated for over 20 years. Minnesota Senator Sheila M. Kiscaden initiated the issue . . .