Federal laws and requirements govern the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) with regards to its websites and other digital media.
The 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act
This act requires government websites to be accessible, have a consistent appearance, use a .gov domain, include a search function, use plain language, be mobile-friendly and more.
Copyright Laws
Although federally produced content is usually copyright free, that doesn't mean that everything on our websites is. Copyright law still applies to the content you get from elsewhere, such as stock image collections or your partners' websites.
Paperwork Reduction Act
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that all federal websites request permission from the Office of Management and Budget before collecting information from the public. You should follow these guidelines when you collect information for the public, for projects such as surveys or user experience (UX) research.
Personally Identifiable Information
Personally Identifiable Information, or PII, is any information about an individual. It's often collected for UX research and surveys. Read more about what PII is and how to host it, and learn about the Privacy Impact Assessment form.
The Plain Writing Act of 2010
The Plain Writing Act (often referred to as the "Plain Language Act") requires federal websites to be written so that their target audiences can understand them.
Section 508
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal websites to make all content accessible to users with disabilities. Disabled users may use screen readers, or have hearing issues, colorblindness, or difficulties using traditional hardware like a mouse or keyboard.