I get why bills are written in the same long-form as contracts. But it creates the problem that, just like most contracts, people don't really understand the contents. (Did you actually read the pile of papers you signed for your mortgage?)
Would it be unreasonable to require any proposed legislation include a comprehensive summary written at something like a 10th grade reading level?
Something like this could help eliminate the manner in which long-form effectively bars most citizen participation in the legislative process. It would also force a degree of clarity on the implications and meanings within a proposal.
We should never, ever have to hear "We need to pass it so we can see what's in it."
As an aside, I also think there should be hard limits on the size of a single piece of legislation. If a competent reader can't sit down, read, and understand it in a single sitting, it's too long.
Would it be unreasonable to require any proposed legislation include a comprehensive summary written at something like a 10th grade reading level?
Something like this could help eliminate the manner in which long-form effectively bars most citizen participation in the legislative process. It would also force a degree of clarity on the implications and meanings within a proposal.
We should never, ever have to hear "We need to pass it so we can see what's in it."
As an aside, I also think there should be hard limits on the size of a single piece of legislation. If a competent reader can't sit down, read, and understand it in a single sitting, it's too long.