I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1557 

To ensure clarity of regulations to improve the effectiveness of Federal 

regulatory programs while decreasing burdens on the regulated public. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 15, 2013 

Mr. BRALEY of Iowa introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To ensure clarity of regulations to improve the effectiveness 

of Federal regulatory programs while decreasing burdens 

on the regulated public. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be referred to as the ‘‘Plain Regula5 tions Act of 2013’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

7 The purpose of this Act is to improve the effective8 ness and accountability of Federal agencies to the public 


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1 by promoting clear regulations that are easier for the Gov2 ernment to implement and for the public to comply with. 

3 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ means an 

6 Executive agency, as that term is defined in section 

7 105 of title 5, United States Code. 

8 (2) REGULATION.—The term ‘‘regulation’’ 

9 means a rule, as that term is defined in section 

10 551(4) of title 5, United States Code, that is issued 

11 by an agency. 

12 (3) PLAIN LANGUAGE.—The term ‘‘plain lan13 guage’’ means language that is clear, concise, well14 organized, minimizes cross references, and follows 

15 other best practices appropriate to the subject or 

16 field and intended audience. 

17 SEC. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES. 

18 (a) PREPARATION FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAIN

19 WRITING REQUIREMENTS FOR REGULATIONS.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 9 months 

21 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head 

22 of each agency shall— 

23 (A) designate one or more senior officials 

24 within the agency to oversee the agency imple25 mentation of this Act; 


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1 (B) communicate the requirements of this 

2 Act to the employees of the agency; 

3 (C) train employees of the agency to use 

4 plain language in developing, writing, and im5 plementing regulations; 

6 (D) establish a process for overseeing the 

7 ongoing compliance of the agency with the re8 quirements of this Act; and 

9 (E) serve as an agency point-of-contact to 

10 receive and respond to public input on— 

11 (i) agency implementation of this Act; 

12 and 

13 (ii) the agency reports required under 

14 section 6. 

15 (2) PERSONS DESIGNATED.—Persons des16 ignated under paragraph (1)(A) or (1)(E) may be 

17 the same persons designated to carry out similar 

18 functions under the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Pub19 lic Law 111–272; 5 U.S.C. 301 note). 

20 (b) REQUIREMENT TO USE PLAIN LANGUAGE IN

21 NEW AND REVISED REGULATIONS.—Not later than 12 

22 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, each 

23 agency shall use plain language in accordance with the 

24 guidance issued by the Director of the Office of Manage25 ment and Budget under the Plain Writing Act of 2010 


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1 (Public Law 111–274; 5 U.S.C. 301 note) in all new and 

2 substantially revised proposed and final regulations issued 

3 by the agency. 

4 (c) CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE.—For each pro5 posed or final regulation of an agency, the head of the 

6 agency or a person designated under subsection (a)(1) 

7 shall certify to the Director that the agency head has read 

8 the text of the proposed or final regulation and that it 

9 is in plain language. 

10 (d) EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN INFORMATION COL11 LECTION PROVISIONS.—Agency actions to collect informa12 tion from the public about a regulation are exempt from 

13 the information collection provisions of sections 3506(c) 

14 and 3507 of title 44, United States Code, if the agency 

15 head certifies that the sole reason for the information col16 lection is to improve the clarity of the regulation under 

17 the requirements of this Act. 

18 SEC. 5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT 

19 AND BUDGET. 

20 (a) RETURN OF REGULATIONS.—If the Director 

21 finds that the agency did not follow the guidance issued 

22 by the Director under the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Pub23 lic Law 111–274; 5 U.S.C. 301 note) on any proposed 

24 or final regulation issued by an agency, the Director shall 


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1 return the regulation to the agency to be redrafted in plain 

2 language and resubmitted to the Director for approval. 

3 (b) PUBLICATION OF CERTIFICATIONS.—The Direc4 tor shall publish the certifications from agency heads re5 quired under section 4(c) on the official Web site of the 

6 Office of Management and Budget. 

7 SEC. 6. REPORTS. 

8 (a) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 9 months after 

9 the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each 

10 agency shall publish on the plain writing section of the 

11 agency’s Web site created under the Plain Writing Act of 

12 2010 (Public Law 111–274; 5 U.S.C. 301 note) a report 

13 that describes the agency plan for compliance with the re14 quirements of this Act. 

15 (b) ANNUAL COMPLIANCE REPORT.—Not later than 

16 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

17 and annually thereafter, the head of each agency shall 

18 publish on such plain writing section of the agency’s Web 

19 site a report on agency compliance with the requirements 

20 of this Act. 

21 SEC. 7. JUDICIAL REVIEW AND ENFORCEABILITY. 

22 (a) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—No court shall have jurisdic23 tion to review compliance or noncompliance with any pro24 vision of this Act. 


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1 (b) ENFORCEABILITY.—No provision of this Act shall 

2 be construed to create any right or benefit, substantive 

3 or procedural, enforceable by any administrative or judi4 cial action. 

Æ 


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