Gobbledygook Has Gotta Go
Yesterday, the House passed the Plain Language in Government Communications Act of 2008 by a vote of 376 to 1. The act requires government agencies to use plain language in “Government* documents intended for the public.” The act is also meant to “preserve and enhance the role of English.”
To comply, government agencies may rely on the Plain English Handbook, published by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the Federal Plain Language Guidelines.
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*Curious it is that, in such a bill, government is set as Government.
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Related News:
This article (published today) describes the massive effort underway at the Veterans Affairs Department to rewrite regulations in plain language.
And this proposal from the SEC would require investment advisers to provide their clients with brochures written in plain English.
20 April 2008 at 19:55
I thought the same thing when I read about the Government’s — er — government’s new bill.
21 April 2008 at 5:41
John:
Make sure you don’t confuse the two. That might not be Constitutional.