State/County - Bensalem Township
Bipartisan Bills to Modernize Language in State Insurance Laws Moves to Gov Desk
The Pennsylvania Senate has passed legislation sponsored by state Reps. Perry Warren, D-Bucks, and Tina Pickett, R-Bradford/Wyoming, that updates outdated and offensive language in Pennsylvania’s insurance laws. The legislation now heads to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk for his signature.
Warren and Pickett, who serve as the majority and minority chairs, respectively, of the House Insurance Committee, championed these bills to align Pennsylvania law with modern terminology that reflects dignity and respect for individuals with disabilities.
Currently, both the Insurance Company Law of 1921 and the Medical Foods Insurance Coverage Act contain antiquated language such as “physical handicap” and “mental retardation.” While these terms were once commonly used, they are now widely regarded as outdated and stigmatizing.
Disability advocates have long called for their replacement with person-first and more respectful language such as “physical disability” and “intellectual disability.”
House Bill 211 updates the Medical Foods Insurance Coverage Act to reflect these changes in terminology. House Bill 261 makes corresponding updates to the Insurance Company Law of 1921.
“Words matter. With the passage of these bills the language we use in our laws will reflect the respect and dignity that every person deserves,” Warren said.
Credit: House Democratic Communications Office
“The Insurance Company Law was enacted in 1921, over 100 years ago,” Pickett said. “While a product of its time, it uses language that is offensive to the disability community today.”
Credit: PA House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania General Assembly has previously passed laws replacing terms such as “handicap” with “disability” and “mental retardation” with “intellectual disability.” However, these changes had not yet been reflected in key areas of insurance law – until now.
“I was happy to partner with Representative Warren to update the terms used in insurance laws to better reflect our values in present day,” Pickett added. “This legislation will allow the commonwealth to engage in respectful dialogue.”
With final passage of H.B.s 211 and 261, Pennsylvania takes another step toward ensuring that all residents are treated with dignity and that the commonwealth’s laws reflect inclusive modern standards.
“This is a change that reflects the values of our commonwealth and supports our disability communities,” Warren said. “This legislation reflects a collaborative, bipartisan effort with Representative Pickett and our colleagues across the aisle to modernize and improve the language of our laws.”
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In only its second year, Bucks County Community College (BCCC) picked up another medal at the prestigious horticultural expo for its ‘Rooted in Art’ tribute to Stella Elkins Tyler.
BCCC’s floral design program has once again taken home a prize in only its second year participating in the Philadelphia Flower Show. Students, alumni, and instructors earned a bronze medal for “Rooted in Art,” reflecting the College’s origins of being founded on the Newtown estate of artist and educational philanthropist Stella Elkins Tyler. The exhibit features Tyler’s sculpture “Joan of Arc at Orleans,” donated to the College by Carol Tyler, who visited the show with College President & CEO Dr. Patrick M. Jones (Feature Pic). The College was founded on the Tyler estate in Newtown more than 60 years ago. The exhibit features seven original floral designs, each interpreting the connection between nature, art, and education, alongside six selected student works from the College’s School of Arts and Communication.
Credit: BCCC
A team of 20 students, alumni, and instructors from BCCC’s floral design program helped install “Rooted in Art” at the Philadelphia Flower Show, which reflects the College’s origins of being founded on the Newtown estate of artist and educational philanthropist Stella Elkins Tyler. The exhibit features one of Tyler’s original bronze sculptures, “Joan of Arc at Orleans,” pictured in the background.
Credit: BCCC
Melanie Poff (left) and her mother Els Poff, both Certified Floral Designers from Doylestown and students in BCCC’s floral design program, helped surround “Joan of Arc at Orleans” by Stella Elkins Tyler with botanical beauty at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The sculpture is part of the “Rooted in Art” exhibit, reflecting the deep connection between art, education, and nature that Stella Elkins Tyler championed throughout her life.
Credit: BCCC
Amparito Arriaga, a Certified Floral Designer from Exton and a student in BCCC’s floral design program, installs part of the “Rooted in Art” exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The exhibit features seven original floral designs, each interpreting the connection between nature, art, and education, alongside six selected student works from the College’s School of Arts and Communication.
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