For purposes of construing the provisions of this and the following subtitles of this title and chapters 16, 35B, 347B, 709A, 904, 913, and 914 relating to the mentally ill and reconciling same with other former and present provisions of statute, the following terms shall be considered synonymous:
1. "Mentally ill" and "insane", except that the hospitalization or detention of any person for treatment of mental illness shall not constitute a finding or create a presumption that the individual is legally insane in the absence of a finding of incompetence made pursuant to section 229.27;
2. "Mental defectives" and "mentally retarded";
3. "Feeble-minded" and "mentally retarded";
4. "Defectiveness" and "retardation";
5. "Parole" and "convalescent leave";
6. "Resident" and "patient";
7. "Escape" and "depart without proper authorization";
8. "Warrant" and "order of admission";
9. "Escapee" and "patient";
10. "Sane" and "in good mental health";
11. "Commissioners of insanity" and "commissioners of hospitalization";
12. "Idiot" and "mental retardate";
13. "Recapture" and "take into protective custody";
14. "Asylum" and "hospital";
15. "Commitment" and "admission".
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the general assembly that words which have come to have a degrading meaning shall not be employed in institutional records having reference to the mentally afflicted and that in all such records the less discriminatory of the foregoing synonyms shall be employed.
[C62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 218.95]
83 Acts, ch 96, § 159, 160
Iowa General Assembly
Search: Iowa Code 1995
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