Plain Language in Regulations and Policy
Date: | Friday, October 21, 2011 |
Presenter: | John A. Strylowski, DOI |
On-Demand Webinar
NOTE: Large files will take more time to download
- Webinar recording: Writing Regulations for Readers (WMV, 72 MB, 90 minutes, October 2011)
- Presentation slides: Writing Regulations for Readers (PDF, 3.3 MB, 85 pages, October 2011)
- Transcript: Plain Language in Regulations and Policy (PDF, 80.8 KB, 26 pages, October 2011)
Description
Regulations tell Americans how to get benefits, how to meet safety standards, and how to pay their taxes. Regulations that are unclear or unreadable make work for the reader and for the agency that issues them. Writing all our regulations in a clear and easily readable style would result in a tremendous savings of time and effort for the federal government and for citizens affected by them. Regulations don’t have to be written in "legalese." Don’t let anyone convince you that outmoded forms of language are needed in regulations. Plain language works for regulations just as it does for other important forms of written communication.
What You'll Learn
- The three executive orders that require plain language in regulations
- Selected principles of plain language and how they apply to regulations
- What prominent experts in legal drafting have to say about plain language
Participants will leave with a list of further resources for plain-language regulations.
About the Presenter
Content Lead:
DigitalGov University Team
Page Reviewed/Updated: May 17, 2012