Plain Language Act 2022

1: Title
This Act is the Plain Language Act 2022.
2: Commencement
This Act comes into force 6 months after Royal assent.
1: Preliminary provisions
3: Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to improve the effectiveness and accountability of public service agencies and Crown agents, and to improve the accessibility of certain documents that they make available to the public, by providing for those documents to use language that is—
a: appropriate to the intended audience; and
b: clear, concise, and well organised.
4: Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— Commissioner section 42 Crown agent Part 1 Minister plain language section 5 public public service agency section 10(a) relevant document section 6 reporting agency
5: What is plain language
In this Act, plain language
a: appropriate to the intended audience; and
b: clear, concise, and well organised.
6: What documents must use plain language
1: In this Act, a document for which a reporting agency is responsible is a relevant document
a: the document is in English (but see section 15
b: the agency considers that the intended audience for the document is the public generally (rather than 1 or more particular persons); and
c: the document—
i: provides information about what services are provided by, or on behalf of, a reporting agency or information about how to obtain those services (including any document that is necessary to obtain any of those services); or
ii: provides information about filing, registering, or lodging information with, or giving information to, a reporting agency; or
iii: explains to the public how to comply with a requirement that a reporting agency administers or enforces; or
iv: provides information to the public about a requirement that a reporting agency administers or enforces that may affect their rights or interests; or
v: provides information as part of a public education initiative. Examples
Document in respect of which plain language duty applies A department publishes on its Internet site a guide to the services it provides (including how to apply for those services). The intended audience is the public generally. The guide is a relevant document. The department must take reasonable steps to ensure that the document uses plain language. Document in respect of which plain language duty does not apply A member of the public ( A The email is not a relevant document. The duty under section 9
2: In this section, document
a: in a visible and tangible form and medium (for example, in print); or
b: in a visible form by electronic means (for example, a page on an Internet site).
3: Nothing in this Act prevents or restricts a reporting agency from including te reo Māori in any relevant document.
4: The following applies for the purposes of subsection (1)﻿(b):
a: a standard form or template for a document that is intended to be sent to members of the public must be treated as being a document referred to in subsection (1)﻿(b):
b: a document does not satisfy subsection (1)﻿(b) only because—
i: it would be made available under the Official Information Act 1982
ii: a reporting agency proactively releases the document for the purpose of making official information available to the public.
5: If a document contains a part that meets the requirements in subsection (1) and a part that does not, section 9
7: Transitional, savings, and related provisions
The transitional, savings, and related provisions set out in Schedule 1
8: Act binds the Crown
This Act binds the Crown.
2: Plain language requirements
9: Relevant documents to use plain language
1: A reporting agency must take reasonable steps to ensure that all relevant documents for which it is responsible use plain language.
2: That duty is,—
a: in the case of a public service agency, a duty that is owed only to the Commissioner; and
b: in the case of a Crown agent, a duty that is owed only to its responsible Minister (within the meaning of the Crown Entities Act 2004
10: Plain language guidance must be issued
1: The Commissioner must issue guidance on how reporting agencies comply with this Act.
2: Before issuing the guidance, the Commissioner must—
a: consult the persons or organisations that the Commissioner thinks appropriate; and
b: have regard to international best practice in connection with plain language writing.
3: The guidance must include guidance to support the accessibility of relevant documents (including the accessibility of those documents to people with disabilities).
4: The Commissioner must, as soon as practicable after they issue the guidance, ensure that a copy of the guidance is available free of charge on an Internet site maintained by or on behalf of the Commissioner.
11: Plain language officers
A reporting agency must appoint as plain language officers for the agency 1 or more individuals (within or outside the agency) whose responsibilities include—
a: educating agency employees regarding the requirements of this Act:
b: dealing with feedback from the public about the agency’s compliance with this Act:
c: ensuring that the agency complies with this Act.
12: Reporting agency must report to Commissioner
A reporting agency must report annually to the Commissioner on how the agency complies with this Act.
13: Commissioner must report to Minister
1: The Commissioner must report annually to the Minister on how reporting agencies have been complying with this Act.
2: The Minister must present a copy of the report to the House of Representatives within 20 working days after receiving it.
14: Act does not confer or impose legal rights or obligations
This Act does not confer a legal right or impose a legal obligation on any person that is enforceable in a court of law.
15: Other Acts not affected
This Act does not affect Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori 2016 Guidance note
See section 9