Call to Action: A Chance to Improve Writing of Rules “In Style”
In the “olden” days, before September 2019, some felt that dealing with the Rules Review Commission (RRC) and the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) kind of cramped their rule-writing style. Many will recall the seemingly endless corrections of “which” to “that” or from “including but not limited to” to “including.” And then there were the poison pill words ending in “ly” that regularly tripped up rule-writers. Frustration was often an undercurrent.
At least a partial and helpful solution came to fruition in September 2019. At that time, RRC and OAH approved a Style Guide. The stated purpose of the Style Guide is “to assist agencies adopting rules, members of the public in understanding them, and the Rules Review Commission in reviewing them as provided by law.”
The goal of the Style Guide is to “make a better Administrative Code.” The Guide comprehensively covers topics “ranging from formatting to word selection” with the intent to improve “consistency, accessibility, and efficiency.”
The Style Guide has now been in use more than a year. OAH and RRC want “to ensure it is meeting [the rulemaking community’s] needs.” Action requested: OAH and the RRC are looking for feedback on the Style Guide. In particular, they would like to know if there are points in the Guide needing clarification or issues not addressed that you wish had been addressed. To submit suggestions and requests for changes, send your comments via email to [email protected]. All ideas must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.
This is your chance! Make a difference. Review the Style Guide for the first or umpteenth time and send in your comments.