Colorado § 2-2-802 People first language in state laws

Colorado Statutes

§ 2-2-802 — People first language in state laws

Colorado·Title 02 Legislative·Art. General Assembly

(1)On or after August 11, 2010, all new or amended statutes that refer to persons with disabilities must:

(a)Avoid language that:

(I)Implies that a person as a whole is disabled, such as the mentally ill or the learning disabled; or

(II)Equates persons with their condition, such as epileptics, autistics, or quadriplegics;

(b)Replace disrespectful language by referring to persons with disabilities as persons first. Examples of people first language include, but are not limited to, the following: Persons with disabilities, persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities, persons with behavioral or mental health disorders, and persons with autism.

(c)Replace disrespectful, insensitive, or outdated terms such as mental retardation with people first language such as

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(1) On or after August 11, 2010,
all new or amended statutes that refer to persons with disabilities must:

(a) Avoid language that:

(I) Implies that a person as a whole is disabled, such as the mentally ill or
the learning disabled; or

(II) Equates persons with their condition, such as epileptics, autistics, or
quadriplegics;

(b) Replace disrespectful language by referring to persons with disabilities
as persons first. Examples of people first language include, but are not limited to,
the following: Persons with disabilities, persons with developmental and
intellectual disabilities, persons with behavioral or mental health disorders, and
persons with autism.

(c) Replace disrespectful, insensitive, or outdated terms such as mental
retardation with people first language such as people with developmental and
intellectual disabilities.

(2) Violation of this section shall not be grounds to invalidate any new or
amended statute; however, such statutes shall be amended to reflect the provisions
of this section in any subsequent revision.

(3) Nothing in this section shall constitute a requirement to change the name
of any department, agency, or program of the state or any political subdivision of
the state.

(4) The revisor of statutes is authorized to change any disrespectful,
insensitive, or outdated terms that appear in the Colorado Revised Statutes and to
replace such terms with people first language in accordance with this section.

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Legislative History

Source: L. 2010: Entire section added, (HB 10-1137), ch. 93, p. 319, � 1, effective August 11. L. 2017: IP(1), (1)(b), and (1)(c) amended, (SB 17-242), ch. 263, p. 1262, � 30, effective May 25.