By Bob Katzen

Another bill before the State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee would require the state’s chief digital officer to improve the web sites and services for state executive offices and agencies by requiring the use of plain and simple language consistent with the average reading comprehension level of Massachusetts, as determined by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education.

“This bill was inspired by a conversation I had with a constituent who retired from working in a state agency,” said sponsor Rep. David LeBoeuf (D-Worcester). “In his work, he noticed many of the forms, web portals and other resources used technical legal terms. This can inadvertently lead to residents filling them out inaccurately or not fully comprehending particular requirements. This bill would encourage greater partnerships between our technical services teams and state agencies to enhance user experience of online forms and find ways to make these improved forms available in alternative ways to individuals without internet access.”

“This bill seeks to clarify language used by government offices for the common person here in Massachusetts that may not understand the phraseology used by the university crowd that our current website design caters to,” said Rep. John Gaskey (R-Carver) who signed on as one of the co-sponsors of the bill. “As more and more functions continue to become web centric, we are leaving people that do not ‘live’ online behind and by simplifying design and language, and offering an analog alternative ensures that all people can find and do what they need to on government sites. Remember, we are by the people and for the people.”