Plain-Language Bill Clears House Committee

March 9, 2010

Last week, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved NSBA-supported legislation mandating the use of plain language in all federally-written letters, forms, notices, or instructions, especially those that provide facts about federal benefits or services, information on how to obtain those benefits or services, and explanations on how to comply with federal requirements, including taxes.

Plain Language Act of 2009 (H.R. 946)
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved—by voice vote—an amended version of H.R. 946 on March 4, 2010. The Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute was offered by Chairman Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.).

Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa)—a 2008 recipient of NSBA’s Small Business Star award—introduced the Plain Language Act of 2009 (H.R. 946) in February 2009.

The bill currently has 10 bipartisan cosponsors: Reps. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa), Dan Burton (R-Ind.), Virginia Foxx (R-Va.), David Loebsack (D-Iowa), James Moran (D-Va.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Albio Sires (D-N.J.), Melvin Watt (D-Calif.), and Peter Welch (D-Vermont).

During the 110th Congress, the full U.S. House of Representatives approved a predecessor plain-language bill, the Plain Language in Government Communications Act of 2007 (H.R. 3548)—also introduced by Braley—by a vote of 376-1. The lone dissenting vote was cast by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).

Plain Writing Act of 2009 (S. 574)
Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) introduced the Plain Writing Act of 2009 (S. 574) in March 2009 and the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs approved the bill in December 2009.

S. 574 currently has six bipartisan cosponsors: Sens. Thomas Carper (D-Del.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and George Voinovich (R-Ohio). President Barack Obama was a cosponsor of S. 2291 during the 110th Congress.

The Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs unanimously reported a previous version of this bill out of committee during the 110th Congress but the full Senate never considered the legislation.

NSBA is hopeful that the full Senate will be allowed to vote on this common-sense, bipartisan measure during the current 111th Congress.