Reps; Brady, Capano, Carey, Cathcart, B. Ennis, D. Ennis, Ewing, Houghton, Keeley, Maier, Mulrooney, Oberle, Plant, Price, Roy, Spence, Ulbrich, Valihura, VanSant, Viola, Williams; Sen. Blevins
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 1, 15, 21 AND 25 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REFERENCES TO PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1. Amend § 302(11), Title 1 of the Delaware Code, by striking it in its entirety and by substituting in lieu thereof the following:
‘‘ ‘Person with mental illness’ means a person with a brain disorder that results in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life."
Section 2. Amend § 1701, Title 15 of the Delaware Code, by striking the words "idiot or insane person" appearing therein.
Section 3. Amend § 1703, Title 15 of the Delaware Code, by striking subsection (b) in its entirety.
Section 4. Amend § 2707(b)(4), Title 21 of the Delaware Code, by striking the words "idiot," "imbecile," and "or feable minded" each time the same appear therein.
Section 5. Amend § 103, Title 25 of the Delaware Code, by striking the phrase "or by trustees of idiots, lunatics and persons of unsound mind," and by inserting in lieu thereof the phrase "or by guardians for persons with disabilities" and by deleting the phrase "or of such idiot, lunatic or person of unsound mind," as the same appear therein, and by substituting in lieu thereof the phrase "or of such person with a disability".
This bill amends the Delaware Code by eliminating or replacing offensive language used to describe people with mental illness.