,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #hjg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,april #bd1 #bjac   
,mrs4 ,mc,caskill introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security and ,governmental ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to require that ,federal    
regulations use plain writing that is   
clear1 concise1 and well-organized1 and 
follows other best practices appropriate
 to the subject or field and intended   
audience4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,plain ,writing ,act
 for ,regulations of #bjac4  #b4        
,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to
 require that ,federal regulations use  
plain writing1 to enhance public        
understanding of regulations1 and to    
increase the level of public            
participation in the rulemaking process4
  #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3  7#a7 
,agency ,the term agency means an       
,executive agency1 as that term is      
defined in section #aje of title #e1    

,united ,states ,code4  7#b7 ,director  
,the term ,director means the ,director 
of the ,office of ,management and       
,budget4  7#c7 ,plain writing ,the term 
plain writing means writing that is     
clear1 concise1 and well-organized1 and 
follows other best practices appropriate
 to the subject or field and intended   
audience4  7#d7 ,regulation ,the term   
regulation means a rule1 as that term is
 defined in section #eea of title #e1   
,united ,states ,code1 that is issued by
 an agency4  #d4 ,responsibilities of   
,federal agencies  7a7 ,preparation for 
implementation of plain writing         
requirements for regulations  7#a7 ,in  
general ,not later than #i months after 
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
head of each agency shall--  7,a7       
designate a senior official within the  
agency to oversee the implementation of 
this ,act by the agency2  7,b7 ensure   
that the obligation of the agency to use
 plain writing in no way diminishes the 
ability of the agency to perform        

scientific analyses or technical        
analyses1 or disclose scientific data or
 technical data or any other findings1  
that are required to be performed or    
disclosed under chapter #e of title #e1 
,united ,states ,code1 or any other     
provision of law2  7,c7 communicate the 
requirements of this ,act to the        
employees of the agency2  7,d7 train    
employees of the agency to write        
regulations using plain writing2  7,e7  
establish a process for overseeing the  
ongoing compliance of the agency with   
the requirements of this ,act2 and  7,f7
 designate an employee of the agency to 
serve as a point of contact to receive  
and respond to public input on--  7i7   
the implementation of this ,act by the  
agency2 and  7ii7 the agency reports    
required under section #f4  7#b7        
,individuals designated ,the individual 
designated under subparagraph 7,a7 or   
7,f7 of paragraph 7#a7 may be the same  
individual designated to carry out      
similar functions under the ,plain      

,writing ,act of #bjaj 7#e ,u4,s4,c4    
#cja note74  7b7 ,requirement ,to use   
plain writing in new and revised        
regulations ,not later than #ab months  
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 each agency shall use plain       
writing in accordance with the guidance 
issued by the ,director under the ,plain
 ,writing ,act of #bjaj 7#e ,u4,s4,c4   
#cja note7 in each proposed or final    
regulation issued or substantially      
revised by the agency4  7c7             
,certification of compliance ,for each  
proposed or final regulation issued by  
an agency1 the head of the agency shall 
certify to the ,director that the agency
 head has read the proposed or final    
rule and that the rulemaking documents  
use plain writing4  7d7 ,exemption from 
certain information collection          
provisions ,an agency action to collect 
information from the public about a     
regulation is exempt from the           
information collection provisions of    
sections #cejf7;c7 and #cejg of title   

#dd1 ,united ,states ,code1 if the      
agency head certifies that the sole     
reason for the information collection is
 to improve the clarity of the          
regulation in accordance with this ,act4
  #e4 ,responsibilities of the ,director
 of the ,office of ,management and      
,budget  7a7 ,guidance ,not later than  
#f months after the date of enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,director shall develop 
and issue guidance on implementing the  
requirements of this ,act that ensures  
that the head of each agency understands
 that the obligation of the agency to   
use plain writing does not in any way   
diminish the ability of the agency to   
perform scientific analyses or technical
 analyses1 or disclose scientific data  
or technical data or any other findings1
 that are required to be performed or   
disclosed by chapter #e of title #e1    
,united ,states ,code1 or any other     
provision of law4 ,the ,director may    
designate a lead agency1 and may use    
interagency working groups to assist in 

developing and issuing the guidance4    
7b7 ,publication of certifications ,the 
,director shall publish each            
certification required under section    
#d7;c7 on the official website of the   
,office of ,management and ,budget4  #f4
 ,reports  7a7 ,initial report ,not     
later than #i months after the date of  
enactment of this ,act1 the head of each
 agency shall publish on the plain      
writing section of the website of the   
agency created under the ,plain ,writing
 ,act of #bjaj 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 #cja note7 
a report that describes the agency plan 
for compliance with the requirements of 
this ,act4  7b7 ,annual compliance      
report ,not later than #ah months after 
the date of enactment of this ,act1 and 
annually thereafter1 the head of each   
agency shall publish on the plain       
writing section of the website of the   
agency a report on the compliance of the
 agency with the requirements of this   
,act4  7c7 ,,gao report ,not later than 
#ah months after the date of enactment  

of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1  
the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united
 ,states shall submit a report 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 that--  7#a7 evaluates 
the extent to which regulations use     
plain writing1 by conducting a survey of
 different intended audiences for a     
representative sample of major          
regulations that measures--  7,a7 the   
level of comprehension of each          
respondent for each regulation2 and     
7,b7 the satisfaction of each respondent
 with the plain writing used in each    
regulation1 focusing on whether the     
regulation uses writing that is clear1  
concise1 and well-organized1 and follows
 other best practices appropriate to the
 subject or field and intended audience 
of the regulation2  7#b7 assesses the   
extent to which plain writing helped    
increase the level of public            

participation in the rulemaking process2
 and  7#c7 provides recommendations to--
  7,a7 improve compliance with the      
requirements of this ,act2 and  7,b7    
better use plain writing to enhance     
public understanding of regulations and 
increase public participation in the    
rulemaking process4  #g4 ,judicial      
review and enforceability  7a7 ,judicial
 review ,there shall be no judicial     
review of compliance or noncompliance   
with any provision of this ,act4  7b7   
,enforceability ,no provision of this   
,act may be construed to create any     
right or benefit1 substantive or        
procedural1 enforceable by any          
administrative or judicial action4