Huggins and Huggins Law, LLC: How important is "Plain Language" anyway?

How important is "Plain Language" anyway?

Well, the House recently passed the PLAIN LANGUAGE IN GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 2008.

Its PURPOSE. The purpose of this Act is to improve the Federal Government's effectiveness and accountability to the public by promoting clear communication that the public can understand and use.

According to THOMAS, The Library of Congress, web site, here is a small sample of the House Report regarding this important piece of Legislation.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

--PLAIN LANGUAGE IN GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 2008

April 10, 2008- Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. WAXMAN, from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, submitted the following

R E P O R T

[To accompany H.R. 3548]

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 3548) to enhance citizen access to Government information and services by establishing plain language as the standard style for Government documents issued to the public, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.

CONTENTS Page

Purpose and Summary 3

Background and Need for Legislation 3

Legislative History 3

Section-by-Section 4

Explanation of Amendments 5

Committee Consideration 5

Rollcall Votes 5

Application of Law to the Legislative Branch 6

Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the Committee 6

Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives 6

Constitutional Authority Statement 6