GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2009

SESSION LAW 2009-264

SENATE BILL 208

an act pertaining to statutory and administrative rule references to people with disabilities.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  It is the intent of the General Assembly to refer to a person with a disability as a person first when directing the drafting of statutes and resolutions. The Legislative Services Office shall incorporate into its drafting training of legislative drafters the preference to avoid language that implies a person as a whole is disabled, equates a person with his or her condition, or is regarded as derogatory or demeaning.  The Arc of North Carolina shall provide a list of nationally recognized descriptors to the Legislative Services Office to be used in this training.

SECTION 2.  The General Statutes Commission shall recommend to the 2010 reconvened session of the 2009 General Assembly and to the 2011 Regular Session of the General Assembly any statutory changes and drafting policies needed to make the General Statutes and administrative rules refer to a person with a disability as a person first. The goal of such revisions shall be to avoid language that implies a person as a whole is disabled, equates a person with his or her condition, or is regarded as derogatory or demeaning. In making recommendations, the General Statutes Commission shall distinguish those instances where a word or phrase is required by federal law or regulation, is describing a medical diagnosis, or is referring to nonliving entities such as facilities, organizations, programs, services, or zone designations.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 2^nd day of July, 2009.

                                                                    s/  Walter H. Dalton

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Joe Hackney

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/  Beverly E. Perdue

                                                                         Governor

Approved 10:32 a.m. this 10^th day of July, 2009