The Plain Writing Act [PDF] requires all federal agencies to use "clear Government communication that the public can understand and use."
The FCC is committed to writing documents covered by the law in plain language, as outlined in the Federal Plain Language Guidelines [PDF].
Plain writing is defined as “writing that is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other best practices appropriate to the subject or field and intended audience," according to guidance [PDF] from the Office of Management and Budget.
Covered documents include those that:
- are necessary for obtaining any federal government benefit or service,
- provide information about any federal government benefit or service, or
- explain to the public how to comply with a requirement that the federal government administers or enforces.
Covered documents, including letters, forms, publications, notices, and instructions, can be in paper or electronic form. Covered documents also include material on government websites, even if that material is not published in paper form.
Training and Compliance
To meet the training and compliance requirements of the Plain Language Act, the FCC has taken the following steps:
- Training FCC staff members identified as document creators, editors, and reviewers by their managers in bureaus and offices throughout the agency.
- Communicating the requirements of the act to participants in training sessions.
- Ensuring that trained staff members are responsible for making sure plain language is used in new or substantially revised documents covered by the Plain Writing Act, in keeping with the OMB guidance.
- Informing all FCC staff of the requirements of the Act via internal communication from the FCC's senior official for plain writing, chief of the Web and Print Publishing Division, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.
- Publishing and distributing the FCC University "Plain Language Workbook: Five Steps to Clear, Effective Communications for the Federal Communications Commission" [PDF].
- Adopting Associated Press Style as editorial style for consumer-education content.