[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3548 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                 Union Calendar No. 358
110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3548

                          [Report No. 110-580]

  To enhance citizen access to Government information and services by 
   establishing plain language as the standard style for Government 
        documents issued to the public, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 17, 2007

 Mr. Braley of Iowa (for himself, Mr. Akin, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. 
  McGovern, and Mrs. Boyda of Kansas) introduced the following bill; 
 which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

                             April 10, 2008

 Additional sponsors: Mr. Reyes, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Hare, Mr. Gordon of 
 Tennessee, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Welch of Vermont, Mr. Altmire, 
Ms. Giffords, Mr. Hill, Mr. Emanuel, Mr. Mahoney of Florida, Mr. Kagen, 
Ms. Shea-Porter, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Space, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mrs. 
 Davis of California, Mr. Boswell, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Sutton, 
Mr. Lantos, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Towns, Ms. Bean, Mr. 
            Van Hollen, Mr. Hodes, and Mr. Lewis of Georgia

                             April 10, 2008

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
 [For text of the introduced bill, see bill as introduced on September 
                               17, 2007]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To enhance citizen access to Government information and services by 
   establishing plain language as the standard style for Government 
        documents issued to the public, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Plain Language in Government 
Communications Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to improve the Federal Government's 
effectiveness and accountability to the public by promoting clear 
communication that the public can understand and use.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' means an Executive agency, 
        as that term is defined in section 105 of title 5, United 
        States Code.
            (2) Plain language.--The term ``plain language'' means 
        language that the intended audience can readily understand and 
        use because it is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows 
        other best practices of plain language writing.

SEC. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.

    (a) Requirement To Use Plain Language in New Documents.--Within one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, each agency--
            (1) shall use plain language in any covered document of the 
        agency issued or substantially revised after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act;
            (2) may use plain language in any revision of a covered 
        document issued on or before such date; and
            (3) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, preserve and 
        enhance the role of English by using the English language in 
        all covered documents.
    (b) Guidance.--In implementing subsection (a), an agency may follow 
either the guidance of the Plain English Handbook, published by the 
Securities and Exchange Commission, or the Federal Plain Language 
Guidelines. If any agency has its own plain language guidance, the 
agency may use that guidance, as long as it is consistent with the 
Federal Plain Language Guidelines, the Plain English Handbook, 
published by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the 
recommendations made by the Comptroller General under section 5(c).
    (c) Additional Provisions Relating to Use of English Language.--
Nothing in this Act shall be construed--
            (1) to prohibit the use of a language other than English;
            (2) to limit the preservation or use of Native Alaskan or 
        Native American languages (as defined in the Native American 
        Languages Act);
            (3) to disparage any language or discourage any person from 
        learning or using a language; or
            (4) to be inconsistent with the Constitution of the United 
        States.
    (d) Covered Document.--In this section, the term ``covered 
document''--
            (1) means any document that explains how to obtain a 
        benefit or service or file taxes, or that is relevant to 
        obtaining a benefit or service or filing taxes; and
            (2) includes, whether in paper or electronic form, a 
        letter, publication, form, notice, or instruction but does not 
        include a regulation.
    (e) Use of Plain Language by Agencies.--Each agency should, to the 
extent practicable and appropriate, use plain language in any 
collection of information (as defined in section 3502(3)(A)(i) of title 
44, United States Code).
    (f) Incorporation of Comptroller General Recommendations.--Upon 
issuance of the report provided by the Comptroller General under 
section 5(c), the Federal Plain Language Guidelines and the Plain 
English Handbook published by the Securities and Exchange Commission 
shall be updated to incorporate the recommendations made by the 
Comptroller General.

SEC. 5. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Initial Report.--Within six months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall submit to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate a report that describes how the agency intends to 
meet the following objectives:
            (1) Communicating the requirements of this Act to agency 
        employees.
            (2) Training agency employees to write in plain language.
            (3) Meeting the deadline set forth in section 4(a).
            (4) Ensuring ongoing compliance with the requirements of 
        this Act.
            (5) Designating a senior official to be responsible for 
        implementing the requirements of this Act.
            (6) Using, to the extent practicable and appropriate, plain 
        language in regulations promulgated by the agency.
    (b) Annual and Other Reports.--
            (1) The head of each agency shall submit to the Committee 
        on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
        Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on--
                    (A) compliance with this Act; and
                    (B) the agency's continued efforts to meet the 
                objectives specified in subsection (a).
            (2) A report under this subsection shall be submitted--
                    (A) annually for the first two years after the date 
                of the enactment of this Act; and
                    (B) once every three years thereafter.
    (c) Evaluation and Report by Comptroller General.--Within six 
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General shall evaluate existing guidance for agencies on writing in 
plain language, including the guidance listed in section 4(b), and 
provide to the Office of Management and Budget, the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives, and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate a report providing recommendations on--
            (1) plain language guidelines; and
            (2) best practices for plain language.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 358

110th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 3548

                          [Report No. 110-580]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To enhance citizen access to Government information and services by 
   establishing plain language as the standard style for Government 
        documents issued to the public, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             April 10, 2008

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed