Bruce L. Braley: “Mr. Speaker, last September, I introduced H.R. 3548, the Plain Language in Government Communications Act, and I rise…”

“Mr. Speaker, last September, I introduced H.R. 3548, the Plain Language in Government Communications Act, and I rise today to talk about the responsibility of this government to communicate effectively with its constituents. I know that lawyers are often blamed for the legalese that makes government documents so difficult to read and understand. Some might find it unusual that this 'Plain Language' bill was introduced by someone who practiced law for 23 years before being elected to Congress. They might be surprised to learn that the use of clear, concise language in communications has been a passion of mine since I began practicing law in 1983, when the Iowa Supreme Court adopted plain language requirements for jury instructions. Since that time, I have been writing and speaking about the importance of using plain language to improve both written and spoken communications. I was proud to introduce the Plain Language in Government Communications Act, a bill that requires the Federal Government to write documents such as letters from the Social Security Administration or a notice from the Department of Veterans Affairs in simple, easy-to-understand language.”