{"id":1009,"date":"2024-04-14T17:10:25","date_gmt":"2024-04-14T17:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/?page_id=1009"},"modified":"2024-06-26T09:05:02","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T13:05:02","slug":"plain-language-guidelines-plan-and-report","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/about\/plain-language-guidelines-plan-and-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Plain Language Guidelines, Plan, and Report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gpo.gov\/fdsys\/pkg\/PLAW-111publ274\/pdf\/PLAW-111publ274.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Plain Writing Act of 2010<\/a> [PDF, 125 KB] requires federal agencies to write \u201cclear Government communication that the public can understand and use.\u201d President Obama also emphasized the importance of establishing \u201ca system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration\u201d in his January 21, 2009, <a href=\"https:\/\/obamawhitehouse.archives.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/omb\/memoranda\/2011\/m11-15.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government<\/a> [PDF, 269 KB].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The FMC is committed to writing new documents in plain language by October 2011, using the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.plainlanguage.gov\/howto\/guidelines\/bigdoc\/TOC.cfm\">Federal Plain Language Guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:24px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>We need your help to comply with this Act! <a href=\"mailto:secretary@fmc.gov\">Email us<\/a> if you have trouble understanding our documents or the pages on our website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We have assigned staff to oversee our plain language efforts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"mailto:secretary@fmc.gov\">David Eng<\/a>, Secretary (202-523-5725), Senior Agency Official for Plain Writing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re training our employees and have strengthened our oversight process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:24px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>We must use plain language in any document that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Is necessary for obtaining any federal government benefit or service or filing taxes;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provides information about any federal government benefit or service; or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Explains to the public how to comply with a requirement that the federal government administers or enforces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:24px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group icon-list is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:8px;padding-left:8px\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/PlainWritingComplianceReport2021.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Writing Act of 2010 Compliance Report \u2013 November 2, 2021<\/a> [PDF, 177 KB]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/PlainWritingCompliance2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Writing Act of 2010 Compliance Report \u2013 October 26, 2020<\/a> [PDF, 183 KB]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/PlainWritingComplianceReport2019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Writing Act of 2010 Compliance Report \u2013 September 27, 2019<\/a> [PDF, 238 KB]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/PlainWritingReport2018.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Writing Act of 2010 Compliance Report \u2013 November 19, 2018<\/a> [PDF, 234 KB]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/PlainWriting2017.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Writing Act of 2010 Compliance Report \u2013 September 29, 2017<\/a> [PDF, 133 KB]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/PlainWritingComplianceReport2016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Writing Act of 2010 Compliance Report \u2013 September 29, 2016<\/a> [PDF, 74.8 KB]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/PlainWritingReport2015.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Writing Act of 2010 Compliance Report \u2013 September 29, 2015<\/a> [PDF, 75.3 KB]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/PlainWritingReport2014.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Writing Act of 2010 Compliance Report \u2013 September 29, 2014<\/a> [PDF, 85.9 KB]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/PlainWritingReport2013.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Writing Act of 2010 Compliance Report \u2013 August 26, 2013<\/a> [PDF, 67.8 KB]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Plain_Writing_Compliance_Report_041212.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Writing Act of 2010 Compliance Report \u2013 April 13, 2012<\/a> [PDF, 45.8 KB]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/PlainWritingAct_Plan_ComplianceReport_071311.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plain Writing Act of 2010 Plan and Compliance Report \u2013 July 13, 2011<\/a> [PDF, 41.4 KB]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Plain Writing Act of 2010 [PDF, 125 KB] requires federal agencies to write \u201cclear Government communication that the public can understand and use.\u201d President Obama also emphasized the importance of establishing \u201ca system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration\u201d in his January 21, 2009, Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government [PDF, 269 KB]. The FMC is [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":174,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"fmc-wide-left","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1009","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Plain Language Guidelines, Plan, and Report - Federal Maritime Commission<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fmc.gov\/about\/plain-language-guidelines-plan-and-report\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Plain Language Guidelines, Plan, and Report - Federal Maritime Commission\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Plain Writing Act of 2010 [PDF, 125 KB] requires federal agencies to write \u201cclear Government communication that the public can understand and use.\u201d President Obama also emphasized the importance of establishing \u201ca system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration\u201d in his January 21, 2009, Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government [PDF, 269 KB]. 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