(NewsDakota.com) – North Dakota voters will weigh in on a proposed constitutional amendment during the November 5 election to modernize outdated language used to describe certain state institutions. The “Update Constitutional Language Describing State Institutions Amendment” seeks to replace terms such as “insane,” “feebleminded,” and “deaf and dumb” with more contemporary and respectful terminology.

If passed, the amendment would change the names of several state institutions. For instance, the state hospital for the insane in Jamestown would become the state hospital for individuals with mental illness, and the school for the deaf and dumb in Devils Lake would be renamed the school for the deaf and hard of hearing. The institution for the feebleminded in Grafton would be updated to a facility for individuals with developmental disabilities.

The proposed amendment, which passed unanimously in the North Dakota Legislature, has broad support among lawmakers.

If voters approve the measure, it would amend sections 12 and 13 of Article IX of the North Dakota Constitution. The amendment would have no fiscal impact, according to state officials.

Voters will have the option to vote “yes” to approve the measure and update the terminology, or “no” to reject the amendment and keep the current language in place.