WKSU News: Ohio House moves on bill to remove dated phrase from state laws

Tuesday, January 26, 2016 Ohio House moves on bill to remove dated phrase from state laws Bill deals with the entire 900-page Ohio Revised Code by WKSU's STATEHOUSE BUREAU CHIEF KAREN KASLER	Reporter Karen Kasler

Ohio Rep. Jonathan Dever (R) of Cincinnati is one of the sponsors of the bill changing references in the Ohio Revised Code concerning people with developmental disabilities.

Courtesy of Ohio House of Representatives

A huge bill that passed the House unanimously makes a big change in all of Ohio’s state laws. It replaces all references in state law to “mental retardation” with the term “intellectual disability”. Republican Jonathan Dever of the Cincinnati area was one of the sponsors of the bill.

LISTEN: Dever on bill to change language in Ohio Revised Code

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“As we learn more about those with disabilities and we work towards making Ohio a better and more responsive state for the developmentally disabled in our communities, our laws should reflect that collective wisdom.”

Because the bill goes through the entire Ohio Revised Code, it’s more than 900 pages long. The state changed the name of the agency that helps people with intellectual disabilities to the Department of Developmental Disabilities in 2009. The bill now moves on to the Senate.