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Although I'm sitting in a meeting, I wanted to share the following press release from Congressman Bruce Braley that just hit my inbox. I've written extensively about the "plain English" bill and am personally very happy to see this pass and by such a huge margin.

On Eve of Tax Day, U.S. House Passes Braley’s Plain Language Act

Bill Would Require Government to Write Tax Forms, Other Documents in Easy-to-Understand, Simple Language

Today the US House passed Rep. Bruce Braley’s (D-Iowa) Plain Language in Government Communications Act (HR 3548), a bill that would require the federal government to write documents like tax returns, federal college aid applications, and Veterans Administration forms in simple, easy-to-understand language.

Braley’s bill passed by an overwhelming bipartisan margin, 376-1.

“This week, millions of Americans are finishing a confusing and often-times frustrating annual ritual: filing their federal tax return,” Braley said. “My hope is that the House’s passage of the Plain Language Act today will make this task a little bit easier in years to come.

“The Plain Language Act requires a simple change to business-as-usual that’ll make a big difference for anyone who’s ever filled out a tax return or received a government document. This bill shows what bipartisanship can accomplish when we put aside our differences and work together for the common good.

“There’s no reason why the federal government can’t write forms, letters, and other public documents in a way we can all understand. Requiring government agencies to write in plain, easy-to-understand language will make the government more accessible and accountable to American taxpayers.”

Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho), a fellow member of the House Oversight Committee who worked with Braley on the legislation, said, “Congressman Braley is to be complimented for his efforts to make government less complicated, and for working to put aside party labels to accomplish the best result for taxpayers. This effort proves Republicans and Democrats can work together and foster a culture of civility in Congress.”

The Plain Language in Government Communications Act (HR 3548) requires the federal government to write all new publications, forms, and publicly distributed documents in a “clear, concise, well-organized” manner that follows the best practices of plain language writing.

Braley introduced the bill last September. A companion bill introduced by Hawaii Senator Daniel Akaka was passed by a Senate committee last week.

Braley’s opening statement from today’s House debate is attached to this message.

Examples of Plain Language in Use:

Here are three before-and-after examples of how plain language was applied to federal documents to make them easier to understand. For more examples, see plainlanguage.gov.

Example #1: Medicare Fraud Letter

Example #2: FDA drug warning label

Example #3: IRS form (before and after)