This Bill repeals the Plain Language Act 2022 (the Act) to remove the compliance-based administrative requirements the Act places on public service agencies.

The Government’s view is that the activities required by the Act do not directly contribute to the better use of plain language and that enacting legislation is not the most appropriate way to achieve this overarching objective. It is considered that compliance with the Act is not an efficient use of government resources and that the repeal will reduce the compliance costs incurred by public service agencies in meeting the Act’s requirements.

The Government considers that repealing the Act will not restrict public service agencies’ work to improve plain language communications as is appropriate in the context of each agency.

The Public Service Commission is required to prepare a disclosure statement to assist with the scrutiny of this Bill. The disclosure statement provides access to information about the policy development of the Bill and identifies any significant or unusual legislative features of the Bill.

A copy of the statement can be found at http://legislation.govt.nz/disclosure.aspx?type=bill&subtype=government&year=2025&no=132