(1) Except as provided in this section, the Kentucky Revised Statutes shall no longer utilize the terms “mental retardation” or “mentally retarded” or abbreviations that use the letters “MR” to signify mental retardation or mentally retarded.
(2) The terms “retarded” or “retardation” shall not be utilized in the Kentucky Revised
Statutes to refer to an intellectual disability.
(3) Except as provided in subsections (4), (5), and (6) of this section, the terms “mental retardation” or “mentally retarded” shall be replaced in the Kentucky Revised Statutes, as appropriate, by the terms:
(a) “Intellectual disability”; (b) “Intellectual disabilities”;
(c) “Individual with an intellectual disability”; (d) “Individuals with an intellectual disability”;
(e) “Individual with a serious intellectual disability”; or
(f) “Individuals with a serious intellectual disability.”
These terms, when substituted for “mental retardation,” “mentally retarded,” or
“MR” shall be understood to have the exact meaning as the terms that they replace. (4) The names of state and local governmental agencies shall no longer contain the
terms “mental retardation,” “mentally retarded,” “retardation,” “retarded,” or
abbreviations that use the letters “MR” to signify mental retardation or mentally retarded, and shall be changed to describe the function of that agency without use of these terms.
(5) A nongovernmental entity named or seeking to be named in the Kentucky Revised Statutes that utilizes “mental retardation,” “mentally retarded,” “retarded,” “retardation,” or the letters “MR” to signify mental retardation or mentally retarded in the name it seeks to include in statute, shall be encouraged to modify its name so that these terms are not utilized in statute.
(6) To the extent permitted by federal law, ICF/MRs shall now be referred to as
ICF/IDs.
Effective: July 12, 2012
History: Created 2012 Ky. Acts ch. 146, sec. 1, effective July 12, 2012.