Plain Language Bill

This Bill was drafted by Plain English Power and amended by Charles Chauven, MP. Dr Rajen Prasad will promote this Bill in the New Zealand Parliament, provided it is chosen in a ballot before the 2011 national election.

Plain Language Bill

Member's Bill

Explanatory Note

The US Congress passed The Plain Writing Act of 2010 on 13 October, 2010. This requires the US Federal Government to write all new publications, forms, and publicly distributed documents in a clear, concise, well-organized manner that follows the best practices of plain language writing. The purpose of The Plain Writing Act is to improve the effectiveness and accountability of federal agencies by promoting clear government communication that the public can understand and use.

This Bill promotes the use of plain English in official documents and web sites. Comprehensible information from government is a basic democratic right. Plain English must become the standard for all official public and private communication in New Zealand. This Bill requires the New Zealand Government to start making that happen.

Clause by clause analysis

Clause 1 is the Title provision.
Clause 2 provides for the Bill to come into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.
Clause 3 sets out the purpose of the Bill.
Clause 4 is the interpretation clause.
Clause 5 sets out the responsibilities of Government organisations.
Clause 6 provides that Government organisation heads shall report to the State Services Commissioner and Parliament on achieving their responsibilities under the Bill.
Clause 7 sets out the responsibilities of the State Services Commissioner and the Minister.
Clause 8 provides plain language guidelines to be followed by Government organisations.
Clause 9 contains special provisions relating to language and New Zealand law.

Rajen Prasad

Plain Language Bill

Member's Bill

Contents

  1. Title
  2. Commencement
  3. Purpose
  4. Interpretation
  5. Responsibilities of Government organisations
  6. Reports to State Services Commissioner
  7. Reports to House of Representatives
  8. Plain language guidelines
  9. Other enactments not affected

The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows:

1. Title

This Act is the Plain Language Act of 2010.

2. Commencement

This Act becomes law on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.

3. Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to improve the effectiveness and accountability of New Zealand Government organisations by requiring them to communicate clearly with the public.

4. Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

Document means any document issued by a Government organisation to the public and includes documents on paper, on web sites, or in any other electronic form.

Plain language means language that the intended readers can easily understand and use after one reading because is clear, concise, and well-organised, and follows other guidelines of plain language writing.

Government organisation
(a) means
  (i) an organisation named in Part 2 of Schedule 1 of the Ombudsmen Act 1975; and
  (ii) an organisation named in Schedule 1 of the Official Information Act 1982;
and
(b) includes
  (i) the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives;and
  (ii) an intelligence organisation

Minister means the Minister for State Services

5. Responsibilities of Government organisations

Within 12 months after this Act becomes law, each Government organisation must use plain language in any covered document issued or substantially revised after the day on which this Act becomes law.

6. Reports to State Services Commissioner

(1) Submission dates. The State Services Commissioner must notify each agency of the submission dates for each report listed in Section 6.

(2) Initial report. Within 6 months after this Act becomes law, all Government organisation heads must report to the State Services Commissioner on how the organisation plans to meet the following objectives:
  (a) Appointing a senior official to be responsible for fulfilling the requirements of this Act.
  (b) Informing all Government organisation staff what this Act requires of them.
  (c) Making sure all staff are trained in plain language writing.
  (d) Informing all staff which plain language guidelines they must follow.
  (e) Making sure the Government organisation continues to comply with the requirements of this Act.

(3) Ongoing reports. For the first 2 years after this Act becomes law, Government organisation heads must report annually to the State Services Commissioner on how the organisation complies with section 5. After that, agency heads must provide a similar report once every 2 years.

7. Reports to House of Representatives

(1) The State Services Commissioner must report to annually to the Minister on on the compliance by Government organisations with section 5, and may make recommendations to the Minister on plain language guidelines and best practices.

(2) Within 20 working days of receiving the annual report of the State Services Commissioner referred to in subsection (1), the Minister must send a copy of the State Service’s Commissioner’s report to the House of Representatives.

8. Plain language guidelines

An agency may develop and use its own plain language guidelines, as long as they are consistent with the definition of plain language in section 4.

Examples

9. Other enactments not affected

Nothing in this Act affects the Maori Language Act 1987 or the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006.