Congressman Introduces Bill To Simplify Regulations

| 20 January 2012 | By Alexander Gaffney, RAC

Representative Bruce Braley (D-IA) introduced a new bill on 18 January that would mandate that US regulatory agencies use "plain language in developing and implementing regulations."

The bill, H.R. 3786 of the 112^th congress, is titled To ensure clarity of regulations to improve the effectiveness of Federal regulatory programs while decreasing burdens on the regulated public. The bill has been referred to the Judiciary Committee for markup.

The bill aims to "improve the effectiveness and accountability of Federal agencies to the public by promoting clear regulations that are easier for the government to implement and for the public to comply with."

"Sadly, gobbledygook dominates the regulations issued by government agencies, making it almost impossible for small businesses to understand the rules of the road," Braley said in a press release.

While no specific mention of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was made, the bill would still require FDA to designate senior officials to carry out the act, communicate the act to all staff, train their staff on writing regulations using clear language, establish a process for overseeing compliance with the act, and designate officials to receive public input.

The bill takes "plain language" to mean "language that is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other best practices appropriate to the subject or field and intended audience."

• H.R.3786 -- To ensure clarity of regulations to improve the effectiveness of Federal regulatory programs while decreasing burdens on the regulated public. (Introduced in House - IH)
• Braley Introduces Bill to Streamline Regulations, Save Small Businesses Money