Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 1481	House Author:  Truitt et al.
Effective:  9-1-11	Senate Sponsor:  Zaffirini

House Bill 1481 amends the Government Code and Education Code to establish provisions relating to the person first respectful language initiative. The bill directs the legislature and the Texas Legislative Council to avoid using specified terms and phrases in reference to certain persons with disabilities in any new statute or resolution and, when enacting or revising statutes or resolutions, to replace those terms with preferred phrases that reflect person first respectful language. The bill requires the Sunset Advisory Commission to consider and make recommendations regarding statutory revisions relating to the initiative and establishes provisions requiring the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission and the commissioner of education to ensure that applicable agencies use terms and phrases preferred under the initiative when proposing, adopting, or amending agency rules and certain materials and publications. The bill amends the Health and Safety Code to define certain terms under the Persons with Mental Retardation Act in accordance with the initiative.