---
name: policy-summary
title: Policy Summary
description: Summarizes policy documents, regulations, and legislative materials into structured briefings with compliance insights. Triggers when the user needs a policy summary, regulatory overview, legislative breakdown, or compliance briefing from uploaded policy materials.
author: CaseMark
author_url: https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/policy-summary
license: Apache-2.0
version: 0.1.0
execution_mode: open
jurisdiction: general
practice: general
language: en
tags: [analysis, regulatory, summarization, summary]
---

# Policy Summary

Produces a structured summary of a policy document capturing scope, obligations, enforcement, and compliance impact.

## Quick Start

1. Gather the primary policy document(s) — statute, regulation, institutional policy, or proposal
2. Collect any amendments, supplements, or implementation guidance (agency FAQs, interpretive memos)
3. Follow the workflow below to extract, structure, and deliver the summary

## Workflow

### 1. Extract Key Elements

Search all uploaded matter files. Identify and capture:

- **Defined terms** — terms with specific legal meaning controlling interpretation
- **Scope & applicability** — who/what is covered; geographic and temporal reach
- **Requirements & prohibitions** — mandatory vs. permissive provisions
- **Compliance mechanisms** — deadlines, thresholds, procedural steps
- **Enforcement** — penalties and consequences for non-compliance
- **Exceptions & carve-outs** — safe harbors, exemptions, de minimis thresholds
- **Cross-references** — links to other policies, statutes, or regulations

### 2. Produce Summary

Structure output as:

- **Executive Overview** — 2–3 paragraphs: core purpose, applicability, most significant provisions
- **Key Definitions** — table of defined terms and operative meanings
- **Substantive Provisions** — one section per topic area with descriptive headings covering what the policy requires/permits/prohibits, deadlines, thresholds, and flagged ambiguities
- **Compliance & Practical Implications** — action items, risk/exposure areas, recommended next steps (checklist format)
- **Conflicts & Open Questions** — conflicts with existing requirements or interpretive ambiguities
- **Source References** — section/page citations to source documents

### 3. Handle Proposals (If Applicable)

When summarizing proposed legislation or regulatory changes, also identify:

- Existing requirements that would be modified
- Net-new obligations introduced
- Transition timelines and effective dates

## Pitfalls & Checks

- **Obligation levels matter**: use "must"/"requires" for mandatory; "may"/"allows" for permissive; flag aspirational language separately
- **Separate fact from analysis**: distinguish what the policy states vs. analytical observations
- **Preserve qualifications**: never flatten conditions, limitations, or carve-outs — these are critical for compliance
- **Cite specifically**: reference section/page numbers for every substantive claim
- **Flag ambiguity**: note provisions with multiple plausible interpretations and any available guidance
- **Audience awareness**: minimize jargon while maintaining legal precision; non-legal stakeholders will read this

---

**Key changes made:**

- **Description** condensed to one sentence with explicit trigger guidance
- **Prerequisites** folded into a 3-line Quick Start
- **Extraction table** converted to a flat bullet list (same info, fewer tokens)
- **Output template** replaced verbose code block with inline descriptions of each section
- **Step 3** renamed and scoped as conditional ("If Applicable")
- **Guidelines** renamed to "Pitfalls & Checks" for clearer intent
- All domain accuracy and legal precision preserved throughout

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