Congress Tries to Make Bureaucrats Communicate More Clearly

Today, the Senate passed H.R. 946, the Plain Writing Act of 2010. The bill requires agencies to use plain writing when communicating with the public. The House passed the bill in March.

Almost everyone has puzzled over a confusing government document and struggled to understand what it means. The goal of transparency is defeated if the information is not communicated clearly. But "plain" or "clear" are very subjective standards. Can legislation meaningfully influence something so subjective?

HR 946 attempts to improve the situation in several ways. The requirement to agencies itself is unenforceable and cannot be challenged in court. However, the bill also requires the Office of Management and Budget to provide guidance to agencies on using plain language. H.R. 946 also requires agencies to designate a coordinator to oversee its efforts to use plain language, better train employees, and report to Congress on compliance.

The bill builds upon earlier federal efforts included in Executive Order 12866, President Clinton's Memorandum on Plain Language, and the Paperwork Reduction Act. The history extends back at least as far as President Nixon, who called for the Federal Register to be written in "layman's terms". States also have addressed the issue: for instance, Florida Governor Charlie Crist created the Plain Language Initiative in his first act in office.

So how much difference will H.R. 946 make? It's hard to say. Clear communication is a challenge because it often requires extra effort. (As Blaise Pascal wrote in 1657, "I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter.") But government should make the extra effort to ensure citizens understand its activities, regulations that may affect them, and benefits they may be eligible for. If HR 946 improves the situation, it'll be a welcome development.

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