Every form, notice, brochure or other written material of the Department of Human Services intended for use by persons inquiring about, applicants for or recipients of public assistance shall be written in plain language. A form, notice, or brochure is written in plain language if it substantially complies with all of the following tests:
(1) Uses short sentences and paragraphs;
(2) Uses everyday words readable at an eighth-grade level of reading ability;
(3) Uses simple and active verb forms;
(4) Uses type of readable size;
(5) Uses uppercase and lowercase letters;
(6) Heads sections and other subdivisions with captions which fairly reflect the content of the section or subdivision and which are in boldfaced type or otherwise stand out significantly from the text;
(7) Uses layout and spacing which separate the paragraphs and sections of the document from each other and from the borders of the paper;
(8) Is written and organized in a clear and coherent manner;
(9) Is designed to facilitate ease of reading and comprehension; and
(10) Is readable at the sixth-grade level of reading ability except for vocabulary referred to in subsection (2) of this section. [1987 c.3 §3(1)]
Section: Previous 411.926 411.929 411.932 411.935 411.950 411.955 411.960 411.965 411.967 411.969 411.972 411.975 411.977 411.979 411.990 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008