Now where have we seen this before? S. 2337 would require that federal regulations use plain writing that is clear, concise, well‐organized, and appropriate for the subject matter and intended audience.
Well, according to the “Plain Writing Association,” efforts to produce plain writing in government go back as far as the 1977 issuance of a report on federal paperwork. President Carter commanded simple and clear regulations in 1978.
Twenty years later, President Clinton issued a memorandum calling for “Plain Language in Government Writing.”
There’s even a “PlainLanguage.gov” Web site already. Because the last Congress passed Public Law 111–274, the Plain Language Act of 2009.
Maybe passing another law will do it. Maybe the search for locution that provides a level of clarity sufficient for public consumption comes from alternate changes in public policy than to amend the expression of their societal impact. (ahem)
