2022 Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 220 - Revision of Statutes
NRS 220.125 - References in NRS to certain persons and matters to be made using respectful or appropriate language.

1. The Legislative Counsel shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that persons with physical, mental or cognitive disabilities are referred to in Nevada Revised Statutes using language that is commonly viewed as respectful and sentence structure that refers to the person before referring to his or her disability as follows:

(a) Words and terms that are preferred for use in Nevada Revised Statutes include, without limitation, "persons with disabilities," "persons with mental illness," "persons with developmental disabilities," "persons with intellectual disabilities" and other words and terms that are structured in a similar manner.

(b) Words and terms that are not preferred for use in Nevada Revised Statutes include, without limitation, "disabled," "handicapped," "mentally disabled," "mentally ill," "mentally retarded" and other words and terms that tend to equate the disability with the person.

2. The Legislative Counsel shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that terms related to persons affected by addictive disorders are referred to in Nevada Revised Statutes using language that is commonly viewed as respectful and sentence structure that refers to the person before referring to his or her disorder as follows:

(a) Words and terms that are preferred for use in Nevada Revised Statutes include, without limitation, "addictive disorder," "persons with addictive disorders," "person with an addictive disorder," "person with an addictive disorder related to gambling" and "substance use disorder."

(b) Words and terms that are not preferred for use in Nevada Revised Statutes include, without limitation, "addict," "alcoholic," "alcohol abuse," "alcohol abuser," "alcohol and drug abuser," "drug abuse," "drug addict," "problem gambler," "substance abuse" and "substance abuser."

3. The Legislative Counsel shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that terms related to persons with mental illness are referred to in Nevada Revised Statutes using language that is commonly viewed as respectful and sentence structure that refers to the person before referring to his or her illness as follows:

(a) Words and terms that are preferred for use in Nevada Revised Statutes include, without limitation, "persons with mental illness" and other words and terms that are structured in a similar manner.

(b) Words and terms that are not preferred for use in Nevada Revised Statutes include, without limitation, "insane" and "insanity."

4. The Legislative Counsel shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that terms related to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing are referred to in Nevada Revised Statutes using language that is commonly viewed as respectful and sentence structure that refers to the person before referring to his or her condition. Words and terms that are not preferred for use in Nevada Revised Statutes include, without limitation, "deaf and dumb."

5. The Legislative Counsel shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that:

(a) Terms related to persons living with the human immunodeficiency virus are referred to in Nevada Revised Statutes using language that is commonly viewed as respectful and sentence structure that refers to the person before referring to the human immunodeficiency virus as follows:

(1) Words and terms that are preferred for use in Nevada Revised Statutes include, without limitation, "person living with the human immunodeficiency virus" and "person diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus."

(2) Words and terms that are not preferred for use in Nevada Revised Statutes include, without limitation, "HIV positive" and "human immunodeficiency virus positive."

(b) The human immunodeficiency virus is referred to in Nevada Revised Statutes using language that refers only to the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV rather than using duplicative references to both the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, acquired immune deficiency syndrome or AIDS.

(c) Duplicative references to both communicable diseases and the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV are not used in Nevada Revised Statutes.

(Added to NRS by 2007, 906; A 2011, 2600; 2017, 2831; 2019, 1943; 2021, 576, 3194)