111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 946 

AN ACT 

To enhance citizen access to Government information and 

services by establishing that Government documents 

issued to the public must be written clearly, and for 

other purposes. 

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

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Plain Writing Act of 

3 2010’’. 

4 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

5 The purpose of this Act is to improve the effective6 ness and accountability of Federal agencies to the public 

7 by promoting clear Government communication that the 

8 public can understand and use. 

9 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

10 In this Act: 

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

12 Executive agency, as defined under section 105 of 

13 title 5, United States Code. 

14 (2) COVERED DOCUMENT.—The term ‘‘covered 

15 document’’— 

16 (A) means any document that— 

17 (i) is relevant to obtaining any Fed18 eral Government benefit or service or filing 

19 taxes; 

20 (ii) provides information about any 

21 Federal Government benefit or service; or 

22 (iii) explains to the public how to com23 ply with a requirement the Federal Gov24 ernment administers or enforces; 
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1 (B) includes (whether in paper or elec2 tronic form) a letter, publication, form, notice, 

3 or instruction; and 

4 (C) does not include a regulation. 

5 (3) PLAIN WRITING.—The term ‘‘plain writing’’ 

6 means writing that the intended audience can read7 ily understand and use because that writing is clear, 

8 concise, well-organized, and follows other best prac9 tices of plain writing. 

10 SEC. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES. 

11 (a) PREPARATION FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAIN

12 WRITING REQUIREMENTS.— 

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

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

15 each agency shall— 

16 (A) designate 1 or more senior officials 

17 within the agency to oversee the agency imple18 mentation of this Act; 

19 (B) communicate the requirements of this 

20 Act to the employees of the agency; 

21 (C) train employees of the agency in plain 

22 writing; 

23 (D) establish a process for overseeing the 

24 ongoing compliance of the agency with the re25 quirements of this Act; 
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1 (E) create and maintain a plain writing 

2 section of the agency’s website that is accessible 

3 from the homepage of the agency’s website; and 

4 (F) designate 1 or more agency points-of5 contact to receive and respond to public input 

6 on— 

7 (i) agency implementation of this Act; 

8 and 

9 (ii) the agency reports required under 

10 section 5. 

11 (2) WEBSITE.—The plain writing section de12 scribed under paragraph (1)(E) shall— 

13 (A) inform the public of agency compliance 

14 with the requirements of this Act; and 

15 (B) provide a mechanism for the agency to 

16 receive and respond to public input on— 

17 (i) agency implementation of this Act; 

18 and 

19 (ii) the agency reports required under 

20 section 5. 

21 (b) REQUIREMENT TO USE PLAIN WRITING IN NEW

22 DOCUMENTS.—Beginning not later than 1 year after the 

23 date of enactment of this Act, each agency shall use plain 

24 writing in every covered document of the agency that the 

25 agency issues or substantially revises. 
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1 (c) GUIDANCE.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 

3 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 

4 of the Office of Management and Budget shall de5 velop and issue guidance on implementing the re6 quirements of this section. The Director may des7 ignate a lead agency, and may use interagency work8 ing groups to assist in developing and issuing the 

9 guidance. 

10 (2) INTERIM GUIDANCE.—Before the issuance 

11 of guidance under paragraph (1), agencies may fol12 low the guidance of— 

13 (A) the writing guidelines developed by the 

14 Plain Language Action and Information Net15 work; or 

16 (B) guidance provided by the head of the 

17 agency that is consistent with the guidelines re18 ferred to in subparagraph (A). 

19 SEC. 5. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 

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

21 the date of enactment of this Act, the head of each agency 

22 shall publish on the plain writing section of the agency’s 

23 website a report that describes the agency plan for compli24 ance with the requirements of this Act. 
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1 (b) ANNUAL COMPLIANCE REPORT.—Not later than 

2 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and 

3 annually thereafter, the head of each agency shall publish 

4 on the plain writing section of the agency’s website a re5 port on agency compliance with the requirements of this 

6 Act. 

7 SEC. 6. JUDICIAL REVIEW AND ENFORCEABILITY. 

8 (a) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—There shall be no judicial re9 view of compliance or noncompliance with any provision 

10 of this Act. 

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

12 be construed to create any right or benefit, substantive 

13 or procedural, enforceable by any administrative or judi14 cial action. 

15 SEC. 7. BUDGETARY EFFECTS OF PAYGO LEGISLATION FOR 

16 THIS ACT. 

17 The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 

18 complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 

19 shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 

20 titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 

21 Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 

22 by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro-
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1 vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 

2 vote on passage. 

Passed the House of Representatives March 17, 

2010. 

Attest: 

Clerk. 
111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 946 

AN ACT 

To enhance citizen access to Government informawritten clearly, and for other purposes. ment documents issued to the public must be tion and services by establishing that Govern-