# 117-hr-8863: Words Matter Act of 2022

117-hr-8863, Words Matter Act of 2022, is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (D-WI); status Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-8863
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-hr-8863
- Congress: 117
- Title: Words Matter Act of 2022
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
- Introduced: 2022-09-15
- Sponsor: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (D-WI)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Words Matter Act of 2022 This bill removes outdated terminology in specified statutes by replacing references to mentally retarded and mental retardation with intellectual disability.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17] (R-TX), 2022-09-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5] (R-WA), 2022-09-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2022-09-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] (D-NY), 2022-09-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sempolinski, Joseph [R-NY-23] (R-NY), 2022-09-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7] (D-AZ), 2022-12-21T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 117-hr-1448: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act
- 117-hr-1057: Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act
- 117-hr-5577: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 Crown Road Southwest in Atlanta, Georgia, as the "John R. Lewis Post Office Build…
- 117-hr-3577: United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 117-hr-1297: Air America Act of 2021
- 117-hr-1282: Major Richard Star Act

## Sources
- [117-hr-8863 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8863)

## Related
- [117-hr-1448: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1448)
- [117-hr-1057: Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1057)
- [117-hr-5577: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 C…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5577)
- [117-hr-3577: United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-3577)
- [117-hr-1297: Air America Act of 2021](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1297)
- [117-hr-1282: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1282)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-8863 (as of 2025-11-18).