[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 168 (Thursday, November 1, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13691-S13692]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. AKAKA (for himself, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Carper, and Mr. 
        Levin):
  S. 2291. A bill to enhance citizen access to Government information 
and services by establishing plain language as the standard style of 
Government documents issued to the public, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Plain 
Language in Government Communications Act of 2007. I am pleased that 
Senators Claire McCaskill, Tom Carper, and Carl Levin have joined me as 
original co-sponsors of this bill.
  Our bill is very similar to H.R. 3548, introduced by Representative 
Bruce Braley in September, along with original co-sponsors 
Representatives Todd Akin, Dan Burton, James McGovern, and Nancy Boyda.
  This bill would establish plain language as the standard writing 
style for Government documents issued to the public. Plain language is 
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.
  This bill would extend an initiative that President Bill Clinton and 
Vice President Al Gore started nearly a decade ago as part of the 
Reinventing Government initiative. In 1998 President Clinton directed 
agencies to write in plain language. Although many agencies have made 
progress in writing

[[Page S13692]]

more clearly, the requirement never was fully implemented, and in 
recent years, the focus on writing in plain language has flagged. This 
legislation will renew that focus.
  The benefits of requiring the Government to write in plain language 
are numerous.
  For example, using plain language improves customer service. 
Veterans, taxpayers, senior citizens, and others who need to understand 
Government instructions and fill out Government forms should not have 
to wade through complicated, bureaucratic language. Needlessly 
complicated Government documents waste countless hours of taxpayers' 
time and cause unnecessary errors. The Federal Government works best 
for the American people if Government documents are clear and 
straightforward. Filling out Government forms should not be like 
solving a complex crossword puzzle.
  Writing in plain language also will make the Government more 
efficient and cost effective. Agencies that write in plain language 
spend less time answering customer service questions, and they obtain 
better compliance because people make fewer mistakes.
  Furthermore, using plain language makes Government more transparent. 
The American people cannot hold their Government accountable if no one 
can understand the information that the Government provides about its 
actions and its requirements.
  Numerous organizations have called on Congress to require the Federal 
Government to use plain language. For example, the AARP wrote a letter 
in support of this legislation stating that every day AARP members 
contact AARP staff because they do not understand letters that they 
received from the Federal Government. The confusion is not the readers' 
fault. It is because many Federal Government letters are written in 
dense, complicated language that few people who are not lawyers could 
be expected to understand. Certainly, anyone who has ever filled out 
their own tax forms can sympathize.

  Additionally, several small business organizations--including the 
National Small Business Association, the Small Business Legislative 
Council, and Women Impacting Public Policy--support the need for plain 
language. The reason is simple. Small businesses waste considerable 
time, effort, and money trying to decipher what the Federal Government 
requires of them.
  This bill addresses two important elements for ensuring that use of 
plain language becomes standard in Federal agencies: training and 
oversight.
  Each agency will report their plans to train employees to write in 
plain language. Writing in plain, clear, concise, and easily 
understandable language is a skill that Congress and Federal agencies 
must foster. As Thomas Jefferson once said, ``The most valuable of all 
talents is that of never using two words when one will do.'' As a 
former teacher and principal, I understand that even very smart people 
must be trained to write plainly.
  Additionally, strong congressional oversight will ensure that 
agencies implement the plain language requirements. Agencies will be 
required to designate a senior official responsible for implementing 
plain language requirements. Each agency will be required to report to 
Congress how it will ensure compliance with the plain language 
requirement and on its progress.
  A few examples of the documents that will be covered by the plain 
language requirement are Federal tax forms; veterans' benefit forms; 
information for workers about Federal health, safety, overtime pay, and 
medical leave laws; Social Security and Medicare benefit forms; and 
Federal college aid applications. These documents help the American 
people obtain important Government benefits and improve their quality 
of life.
  To avoid imposing an unmanageable burden on agencies, agencies will 
not be required to re-write existing documents in plain language. Only 
new or substantially revised documents will be covered. Similarly, this 
bill does not cover regulations, so that agencies can focus first on 
improving their every day communications with the American people. We 
recognize that it will be more challenging to write regulations--which 
by their nature often will be complex and technical--in plain language.
  Requiring agencies to write in plain language is an important step in 
improving the way the Federal Government communicates with the American 
people.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2291

       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 2007''.

     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''--
       (A) means any document (other than a regulation) issued by 
     an agency to the public that--
       (i) provides information about any Federal Government 
     requirement or program; or
       (ii) is relevant to obtaining any Federal Government 
     benefit or service; and
       (B) includes a letter, publication, form, notice, or 
     instruction.
       (3) Plain language.--The term ``plain language'' means 
     language that the intended audience can readily understand 
     and use because that language 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.--
     Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, each agency shall use plain language in any covered 
     document of the agency issued or substantially revised after 
     the date of enactment of this Act.
       (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 subpargraph (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 Plain English Handbook published by the Securities 
     and Exchange Commission;
       (B) the plain language guidelines developed by the Plain 
     Language Action and Information Network; or
       (C) guidance provided by the head of the agency that is 
     consistent with the guidelines referred to under subparagraph 
     (B).

     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 to write in plain language.
       (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 
     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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