119th Congress · introduced in the House · May 15, 2025
Words Matter Act of 2025
Official title from Congress.gov
Latest action (Mar 26, 2026): Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
View on Congress.govPolicy area: Health
Congressional Research Service summary, version: Introduced in House (May 15, 2025)
Words Matter Act of 2025
This bill removes outdated terminology in specified statutes by replacing references to mentally retarded and mental retardation with intellectual disability.
Includes amendment, cloture, and procedural votes. Each is labeled with its exact question; only a passage question is a vote to pass the bill.
No recorded roll calls on this bill in coverage.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Actions from Congress.gov, newest first.
Administrative law and regulatory procedures · Birth defects · Child health · Contracts and agency · Criminal procedure and sentencing · Disability and paralysis · Elementary and secondary education · Employment and training programs · Food assistance and relief · Health care coverage and access · Health personnel · Indian social and development programs · Intergovernmental relations · Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care · Medicaid · Medicare · Mental health · Nursing · Nutrition and diet · State and local government operations
LD-2 reports whose issue descriptions explicitly cite this bill (bill type and number validated against Congress.gov records). A citation does not establish the client's position or any contact with a member.
Loading lobbying reportsCoverage: reports for 2025 onward, posted Jan 1, 2025 through Oct 24, 2026.
15 citations.
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 20, 2026 · issue area: Health Issues
$10,000
Spent on own lobbying
…Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2025 provides loans to expand and improve pediatric and adult mental health and substance use disorder treatment facilities. H.R. 3420: Words Matter Act of 2025 replacing outdated and stigmatizing terms related to intellectual disabilities with more respectful language. H.R. 3505: Barriers to…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 20, 2026 · issue area: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties
$50,000
Spent on own lobbying
…that benefit the Down syndrome community H.R. 2598/S. 1277 - IDEA Full Funding Act Issues related to the Department of Education and special education services H.R. 3420 - Words Matter Act H.R. 1022/S. 402 - Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act H.R. 4771/S. 2438 - Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employm…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC. · lobbying firm or registrant: SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC.
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 19, 2026 · issue area: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties
$140,000
Spent on own lobbying
H.R.3420 - Words Matter Act of 2025 - The Words Matter Act replaces more than two dozen instances of the term mentally retarded in U.S. Code with contemporary, respectf…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 20, 2026 · issue area: Health Issues
$20,000
Spent on own lobbying
…Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2025 provides loans to expand and improve pediatric and adult mental health and substance use disorder treatment facilities. H.R. 3420: Words Matter Act of 2025 replacing outdated and stigmatizing terms related to intellectual disabilities with more respectful language. H.R. 3505: Barriers to…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 20, 2026 · issue area: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties
$50,000
Spent on own lobbying
…that benefit the Down syndrome community H.R. 2598/S. 1277 - IDEA Full Funding Act Issues related to the Department of Education and special education services H.R. 3420 - Words Matter Act H.R. 1022/S. 402 - Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act H.R. 4771/S. 2438 - Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employm…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC. · lobbying firm or registrant: SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC.
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 15, 2026 · issue area: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties
$160,000
Spent on own lobbying
H.R.3420 - Words Matter Act of 2025 - The Words Matter Act replaces more than two dozen instances of the term mentally retarded in U.S. Code with contemporary, respectf…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 20, 2026 · issue area: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties
$50,000
Spent on own lobbying
…that benefit the Down syndrome community H.R. 2598/S. 1277 - IDEA Full Funding Act Issues related to the Department of Education and special education services H.R. 3420 - Words Matter Act H.R. 1022/S. 402 - Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act H.R. 4771/S. 2438 - Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employm…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC. · lobbying firm or registrant: SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC.
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 16, 2026 · issue area: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties
$300,000
Spent on own lobbying
H.R.3420 - Words Matter Act of 2025 - The Words Matter Act replaces more than two dozen instances of the term mentally retarded in U.S. Code with contemporary, respectf…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 16, 2026 · issue area: Health Issues
$10,000
Spent on own lobbying
…Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2025 provides loans to expand and improve pediatric and adult mental health and substance use disorder treatment facilities. H.R. 3420: Words Matter Act of 2025 replacing outdated and stigmatizing terms related to intellectual disabilities with more respectful language. H.R. 3505: Barriers to…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC. · lobbying firm or registrant: SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC.
2025 Q4 report (Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025) · posted Jan 20, 2026 · issue area: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties
$160,000
Spent on own lobbying
H.R.3420 - Words Matter Act of 2025 - The Words Matter Act replaces more than two dozen instances of the term mentally retarded in U.S. Code with contemporary, respectf…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
2025 Q4 report (Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025) · posted Jan 20, 2026 · issue area: Health Issues
$10,000
Spent on own lobbying
…Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2025 provides loans to expand and improve pediatric and adult mental health and substance use disorder treatment facilities. H.R. 3420: Words Matter Act of 2025 replacing outdated and stigmatizing terms related to intellectual disabilities with more respectful language. H.R. 3505: Barriers to…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
2025 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2025) · posted Oct 20, 2025 · issue area: Health Issues
$10,000
Spent on own lobbying
…Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2025 provides loans to expand and improve pediatric and adult mental health and substance use disorder treatment facilities. H.R. 3420: Words Matter Act of 2025 replacing outdated and stigmatizing terms related to intellectual disabilities with more respectful language. H.R. 3505: Barriers to…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC. · lobbying firm or registrant: SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC.
2025 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2025) · posted Oct 17, 2025 · issue area: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties
$160,000
Spent on own lobbying
H.R.3420 - Words Matter Act of 2025 - The Words Matter Act replaces more than two dozen instances of the term mentally retarded in U.S. Code with contemporary, respectf…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
2025 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2025) · posted Jul 18, 2025 · issue area: Health Issues
$20,000
Spent on own lobbying
…Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2025 provides loans to expand and improve pediatric and adult mental health and substance use disorder treatment facilities. H.R. 3420: Words Matter Act of 2025 replacing outdated and stigmatizing terms related to intellectual disabilities with more respectful language. H.R. 3505: Barriers to…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC. · lobbying firm or registrant: SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC.
2025 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2025) · posted Jul 17, 2025 · issue area: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties
$150,000
Spent on own lobbying
H.R.3420 - Words Matter Act of 2025 - The Words Matter Act replaces more than two dozen instances of the term mentally retarded in U.S. Code with contemporary, respectf…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing