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 Over-
sight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be referred to as the ‘‘Plain Regula-
tions Act of 2013’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to improve the effective-
ness and accountability of Federal agencies to the public 
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(B) communicate the requirements of this 
Act to the employees of the agency; 
(C) train employees of the agency to use 
plain language in developing, writing, and im-
plementing regulations; 
(D) establish a process for overseeing the 
ongoing compliance of the agency with the re-
quirements of this Act; and 
(E) serve as an agency point-of-contact to 
receive and respond to public input on— 
(i) agency implementation of this Act; 
and 
(ii) the agency reports required under 
section 6. 
(2) 
PERSONS
DESIGNATED.—Persons 
des-
ignated under paragraph (1)(A) or (1)(E) may be 
the same persons designated to carry out similar 
functions under the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Pub-
lic Law 111–272; 5 U.S.C. 301 note). 
(b) REQUIREMENT TO USE PLAIN LANGUAGE IN 
NEW AND REVISED REGULATIONS.—Not later than 12 
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, each 
agency shall use plain language in accordance with the 
guidance issued by the Director of the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget under the Plain Writing Act of 2010 
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(Public Law 111–274; 5 U.S.C. 301 note) in all new and 
substantially revised proposed and final regulations issued 
by the agency. 
(c) CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE.—For each pro-
posed or final regulation of an agency, the head of the 
agency or a person designated under subsection (a)(1) 
shall certify to the Director that the agency head has read 
the text of the proposed or final regulation and that it 
is in plain language. 
(d) EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN INFORMATION COL-
LECTION PROVISIONS.—Agency actions to collect informa-
tion from the public about a regulation are exempt from 
the information collection provisions of sections 3506(c) 
and 3507 of title 44, United States Code, if the agency 
head certifies that the sole reason for the information col-
lection is to improve the clarity of the regulation under 
the requirements of this Act. 
SEC. 5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT 
AND BUDGET. 
(a) RETURN
OF REGULATIONS.—If the Director 
finds that the agency did not follow the guidance issued 
by the Director under the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Pub-
lic Law 111–274; 5 U.S.C. 301 note) on any proposed 
or final regulation issued by an agency, the Director shall 
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return the regulation to the agency to be redrafted in plain 
language and resubmitted to the Director for approval. 
(b) PUBLICATION OF CERTIFICATIONS.—The Direc-
tor shall publish the certifications from agency heads re-
quired under section 4(c) on the official Web site of the 
Office of Management and Budget. 
SEC. 6. REPORTS. 
(a) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 9 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each 
agency shall publish on the plain writing section of the 
agency’s Web site created under the Plain Writing Act of 
2010 (Public Law 111–274; 5 U.S.C. 301 note) a report 
that describes the agency plan for compliance with the re-
quirements of this Act. 
(b) ANNUAL COMPLIANCE REPORT.—Not later than 
18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter, the head of each agency shall 
publish on such plain writing section of the agency’s Web 
site a report on agency compliance with the requirements 
of this Act. 
SEC. 7. JUDICIAL REVIEW AND ENFORCEABILITY. 
(a) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—No court shall have jurisdic-
tion to review compliance or noncompliance with any pro-
vision of this Act. 
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(b) ENFORCEABILITY.—No provision of this Act shall 
be construed to create any right or benefit, substantive 
or procedural, enforceable by any administrative or judi-
cial action. 
Æ 
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