Bill Overview
Title: Clear and Concise Content Act of 2022
Description: This bill requires the use of plain writing when the federal government provides information about benefits and services. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must rescind outdated guidance and issue new guidance for the creation, maintenance, and use of covered content at agencies. Covered content means any content that is necessary for obtaining a federal benefit or service or for filing taxes or that provides information about such benefit or service; federal agency operations, policies, or guidance of material importance to, and posted publicly by, the agency; how to interact with or provide feedback to an agency regarding its operations, policies, or guidance; or how to navigate or interact with an agency website, digital service, or office. The OMB must report annually to Congress on this bill's implementation and may make such reports available on a public website. Each agency must ensure compliance. The bill incorporates plain writing requirements into statutory provisions pertaining to new websites and digital services.
Sponsors: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Target Audience
Population: People interacting with U.S. federal government services
Estimated Size: 332000000
- The bill impacts individuals who interact with federal government agencies for benefits, services, or information.
- A wide variety of individuals, including those who may struggle to understand complex government communication, will benefit from clearer communication.
- This includes aging populations, non-native English speakers, and people with lower levels of education.
- The bill affects approximately 332 million U.S. residents enriched by government services and information.
- It improves accessibility to important information like federal benefits, taxes, and agency policies.
- The requirement for plain writing applies across all federal agencies, affecting any individual needing to understand federal content.
Reasoning
- The Clear and Concise Content Act aims to enhance accessibility to federal services by using plain language. This policy is particularly relevant to people who may struggle with complex government communications, such as non-native English speakers, the elderly, and individuals with lower literacy levels.
- Despite the large population it potentially impacts, the intensity or significance of this impact can vary greatly among individuals.
- Given the budget constraints, we assume that the policy could focus on critical areas where accessibility improvements are most needed, like tax filing guidance and benefit applications, rather than every single communication detail at once.
- The policy may not directly affect individuals who are already adept at understanding complex language used by federal agencies. However, the general public might still indirectly benefit from overall transparency and efficiency improvements.
Simulated Interviews
Software Engineer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think having clearer communication from the government is always a good thing. It can be really confusing sometimes to figure out what they're saying on tax forms.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Retired Teacher (Buffalo, NY)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improving how information is communicated is useful and necessary. I sometimes have to help my friends interpret what benefits letters actually mean.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Small Business Owner (Miami, FL)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Such a policy would help me and my community a lot. Government forms can be hard to understand if you're not fluent in English.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Freelance Writer (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 27 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a journalist, I can see the broader impact. Clearer government communication enhances transparency and trust.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Construction Worker (Dallas, TX)
Age: 39 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Anything that simplifies paperwork is a win. It should help most people avoid mistakes when dealing with important forms.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Unemployed (Detroit, MI)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This law could be really beneficial. I've had trouble understanding program qualifications and have missed out on help before.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Healthcare Professional (Chicago, IL)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Making information clear and accessible is always a positive. In healthcare, it reminds me of informed consent, which is crucial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
College Student (Seattle, WA)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The clarity of government resources impacts how we as students do research. It's good to have more understandable data.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
Retired Engineer (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 72 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Many older people have difficulty with government documents. Simplifying them should make things easier.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Customer Service Manager (Houston, TX)
Age: 53 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I deal with customer communications daily; clarity is key. I support any move towards plain language.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $500000000 (Low: $450000000, High: $600000000)
Year 2: $400000000 (Low: $350000000, High: $450000000)
Year 3: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $350000000)
Year 5: $200000000 (Low: $150000000, High: $250000000)
Year 10: $100000000 (Low: $50000000, High: $150000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The initial high cost of implementing plain writing standards versus ongoing maintenance and compliance costs.
- The potential indirect savings from reduced miscommunication and enhanced efficiency.
- The possible unintended consequences of over-simplifying complex regulations.