---
type: "LegalText"
title: "12 U.S.C. § 4809"
description: "“Plain language” requirement for Federal banking agency rules"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 12
title_name: "BANKS AND BANKING"
chapter_number: "48"
chapter_name: "FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS REGULATORY IMPROVEMENT"
section: "4809"
citation: "12 U.S.C. § 4809"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc12@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t12/s4809"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-12/usc12.xml"
source_hash: "4bbfbbd08410d00017ab9a54701a57144b95a1553ef0441d3356c1aaa8a37d00"
raw_snapshot_hash: "e6b98700ef4156ac33fde5d105824845d727afa91a53f3762be2cf4d1a3b01fa"
text_hash: "fcb096374405be325d86b595eec2e1c3fb9035c23c01b6d1b661ffccb3941293"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 12 U.S.C. § 4809 - “Plain language” requirement for Federal banking agency rules

## Text

(a) In general Each Federal banking agency shall use plain language in all proposed and final rulemakings published by the agency in the Federal Register after January 1, 2000.

(b) Report Not later than March 1, 2001, each Federal banking agency shall submit to the Congress a report that describes how the agency has complied with subsection (a).

(c) Definition For purposes of this section, the term “Federal banking agency” has the meaning given that term in section 1813 of this title.

(Pub. L. 106–102, title VII, § 722, Nov. 12, 1999, 113 Stat. 1471.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and not as part of title III of Pub. L. 103–322 which comprises this chapter.