[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 574 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 574

  To enhance citizen access to Government information and services by 
  establishing that Government documents issued to the public must be 
                written clearly, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 11, 2009

  Mr. Akaka (for himself, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Carper, Mr. Levin, Mrs. 
  McCaskill, and Mr. Tester) introduced the following bill; which was 
   read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                          Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To enhance citizen access to Government information and services by 
  establishing that Government documents issued to the public must be 
                written clearly, 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 Writing Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

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

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' means an Executive agency, 
        as defined under section 105 of title 5, United States Code.
            (2) Covered document.--The term ``covered document'' means 
        any document (other than a regulation) issued by an agency to 
        the public, including documents and other text released in 
        electronic form.
            (3) Plain writing.--The term ``plain writing'' means 
        writing that the intended audience can readily understand and 
        use because that writing is clear, concise, well-organized, and 
        follows other best practices of plain writing.

SEC. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.

    (a) Requirement To Use Plain Writing in New Documents.--Not later 
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, each agency shall 
use plain writing in every covered document of the agency issued or 
substantially revised.
    (b) Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--
                    (A) Development.--Not later than 6 months after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the Office of Management 
                and Budget shall develop guidance on implementing the 
                requirements of subsection (a).
                    (B) Issuance.--The Office of Management and Budget 
                shall issue the guidance developed under subparagraph 
                (A) to agencies as a circular.
            (2) Interim guidance.--Before the issuance of guidance 
        under paragraph (1), agencies may follow the guidance of--
                    (A) the writing guidelines developed by the Plain 
                Language Action and Information Network; or
                    (B) guidance provided by the head of the agency 
                that is consistent with the guidelines referred to 
                under subparagraph (A).

SEC. 5. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Initial Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall submit to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 
and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
Representatives 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 in plain writing.
            (3) Meeting the requirement under 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.
    (b) Annual and Other Reports.--
            (1) Agency reports.--
                    (A) In general.--The head of each agency shall 
                submit reports on compliance with this Act to the 
                Office of Management and Budget.
                    (B) Submission dates.--The Office of Management and 
                Budget shall notify each agency of the date each report 
                under subparagraph (A) is required for submission to 
                enable the Office of Management and Budget to meet the 
                requirements of paragraph (2).
            (2) Reports to congress.--The Office of Management and 
        Budget shall review agency reports submitted under paragraph 
        (1) using the guidance issued under section 4(b)(1)(B) and 
        submit a report on the progress of agencies to the Committee on 
        Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and 
        the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House 
        of Representatives--
                    (A) annually for the first 2 years after the date 
                of enactment of this Act; and
                    (B) once every 3 years thereafter.
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