Henceforth, forthwith and posthaste, the federal government will be required to use "plain writing" in public documents. Today, President Obama signed the Plain Writing Act of 2010 ( H.R. 946).

Agencies will have to train employees on writing plainly. The law appoints a "plain writing" official to oversee implementation of the measure.

What's the law's definition of plain writing? "Writing that is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other best practices appropriate to the subject or field and intended audience."

The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, and Sens. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, and George Voinovich, R-Ohio.

"The Plain Writing Act requires a simple change to business-as- usual that'll make a big difference for anyone who's ever filled out a tax return or received a government document," Braley said when the bill cleared Congress. "Writing government documents in plain language will increase government accountability and will save Americans time and money. Plain, straightforward language makes it easy for taxpayers to understand what the federal government is doing and what services it is offering."

Braley's news release offers three before-and-after examples of plain language vs. bureaucratic gobbledygook.

(Posted by Michael Winter)