U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Report on Implementing the Plain Writing Act of 2010

July 13, 2011 (updated April 10, 2024)

The purpose of this Report is to describe the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s 

plans for implementing the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Act). The Act is intended to make it easy 

for the public to understand government documents. The SEC, like other federal agencies, must 

write documents in plain writing, which the Act defines as writing that is “clear, concise, wellorganized, and follows other best practices appropriate to the subject or field and intended 

audience.” Plain writing avoids jargon, redundancy, ambiguity, and obscurity.

The Act requires executive agencies to write new or substantially revised “covered 

documents” using the Federal Plain Language Guidelines. The Act defines a “covered 

document” as any document that:

• is necessary for obtaining any Federal Government benefit or service or filing taxes;

• provides information about any Federal Government benefit or service; or

• explains to the public how to comply with a requirement the Federal Government 

administers or enforces.

The Act excludes “a regulation” from the definition of “covered document,” although guidance 

from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) states that rulemaking “preambles,” which 

correspond to our rulemaking releases, are to be considered “covered documents.” 

Based on the OMB guidance and input from the SEC’s offices and divisions, “covered 

documents” may include:

• narrative text of Commission releases (for example, proposing, adopting, concept);

• no-action letters, exemptive and interpretive orders, including SRO rule filing notices and 

orders, answers to frequently asked questions, compliance alerts, and comment letters;

• press releases, news digests, and most content of sec.gov and investor.gov;

• Investor Alerts and Investor Bulletins; 

• other website content and publications, as appropriate; 

• posts to official SEC social media accounts; and

• correspondence and published speeches, presentations and conference materials that 

explain how to comply with SEC rules.
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Other Requirements of the Act

• Senior Agency Official for Plain Writing

 The Senior Agency Official responsible for Plain Writing is Lori J. Schock, Director, 

Office of Investor Education and Advocacy.

• Plain Writing Webpage

The agency created a webpage that informs the public of the SEC’s plans for complying 

with the Act and allows the agency to receive and respond to public comments and suggestions. 

The webpage, https://www.sec.gov/plainwriting.shtml, is accessible through a link at the bottom 

of the SEC homepage and on investor.gov.

• Informing Agency Staff of Requirements of the Act

 We sent an agency-wide Administrative Notice to SEC staff, informing them of the 

requirements of the Act, on July 11, 2011.

• Training

 From April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024, the SEC offered 25 different

professional writing courses to SEC staff that included a “plain language” component, and over 

630 SEC staff completed the training. Online training resources from PLAIN and other federal 

agencies are also made available to the staff. 

• Request for Comment

 Members of the public are requested to submit comments and suggestions on the 

SEC’s plain writing efforts to: PlainWriting@sec.gov.