Braley Joins Center for Plain Language to Unveil First-Ever "Plain Language Report Card"

Braley requests Oversight Committee hearing on implementation of Plain Writing Act

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) joined the Center for Plain Language today to unveil the Center's first-ever "Plain Language Report Card," a letter-grading of federal agencies' implementation of the Plain Writing Act.

The Plain Writing Act, authored by Braley and signed into law by President Obama in 2010, requires government agencies to write forms and other public documents in simple, easy-to-understand language.   The law set October 13th, 2011, as the deadline for agencies to write all new or substantially revised documents in plain writing.

"Unless federal agencies are held accountable, they won't implement the changes required by the Plain Writing Act," Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) said.  "The mixed results of the first-ever Plain Language Report Card show that we still have a long way to go to make government forms and documents simpler and easier for taxpayers to understand.  Some federal agencies have embraced the Plain Writing Act, and others haven't.  Until these grades are all A-plus, we're going to keep holding bureaucrats' feet to the fire.

"That's why in conjunction with this report, I'm asking the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to hold a hearing into the progress of implementing the Plain Writing Act."

The Center for Plain Language, a nonprofit organization dedicated to clear communication in government, business, nonprofits, and universities, graded federal agencies on (1) how well they are following the specific requirements of the Plain Writing Act and (2) how well agencies are undertaking a variety of supporting activities addressing the "spirit" of the Act.

The US Department of Agriculture won the highest marks for implementation of the Plain Writing Act; the Veterans Administration earned the lowest, though just yesterday, Allison Hickey, Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Benefits, testified at a House hearing that changing a disability benefits letter to plain language helped increase the number of claims processed by 30,000 in four months.

In January, Braley introduced the Plain Regulations Act, an effort to streamline confusing federal regulations into simple, easy-to-understand language.

More information on the Center for Plain Language and the report card can be found at the following link: http://centerforplainlanguage.org/

Braley's letter to the House Oversight Committee asking for a hearing into the implementation of the Plain Writing Act follows:

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July 19, 2012

The Honorable Darrell Issa                          

Chairman                      

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform                        

B3540-A, Rayburn HOB                           

Washington, DC  20515                         

The Honorable Elijah Cummings

Ranking Member

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

2471 Rayburn HOB

Washington, DC  20515

Dear Chairman Issa and Ranking Member Cummings:

As you may know, on October 13, 2010, the President signed the Plain Writing Act into law.  This legislation will simplify burdensome and confusing documents, such as tax forms or social security information, that go to American businesses and millions of individual Americans.  The law has the potential to significantly reduce the burden imposed on small businesses and individuals by confusing, government red tape.

It is vitally important for this law to be correctly executed by the Obama Administration.  Given the significance of this law, I ask that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hold a hearing focusing on the implementation of the Plain Writing Act.  Since the Oversight Committee has direct jurisdiction over the law, it clearly makes sense for our Committee to conduct this important hearing.

A report card was released today which grades each government agency on their performance in complying with this law.  While the grades vary based on each agency, it is clear that improvement is needed in implementation.  I wrote the Plain Writing Act to ensure that the government communicates in clear and easy to understand language.  Correct execution of the law will cut burdensome red-tape for small businesses, save taxpayers money, and help all Americans understand government forms and documents.

I urge the House Oversight Committee to hold a hearing on the implementation of my Plain Writing Act. Please feel free to contact me if I can answer any questions or provide further assistance.  Thank you for your attention to this request.

Sincerely,

Bruce L. Braley