Commentari

Commentari is a civic engagement platform designed to solve a fundamental problem in modern democracy: the gap between the rapid pace of federal rulemaking and the ability of ordinary citizens and organizations to respond effectively. Federal agencies issue rules faster than stakeholders can digest them. Traditional form letters are routinely dismissed by regulators as a single, unoriginal comment. Commentari closes this gap by providing AI-powered tools that translate complex legal and regulatory language into plain, actionable summaries and help users generate unique, substantive public comments.

The platform was built by Eric Epstein, a 32-year veteran senior policy counsel at the DOJ and ATF. As the primary author of the Ghost Gun Rule and a recipient of the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, Epstein spent decades on the receiving end of public comments. He designed Commentari to address the specific weaknesses he saw in the public comment process: a lack of understanding of complex rules, an inability to craft legally sound arguments, and the prevalence of duplicated text that agencies ignore. The result is a tool that empowers individuals and organizations to make their voices heard in a way that is credible, effective, and legally compliant.

For individuals, Commentari summarizes pending legislation and federal regulations, identifies issues that agencies must address under the Administrative Procedure Act, and helps each supporter draft a unique comment in their own voice. Submissions are sent directly to Regulations.gov or to Congress through authorized channels. For organizations, the platform offers branded campaigns, nightly rule tracking, citation verification, engagement metrics, and embeddable donation links. The core promise is simple: no templates, no duplication, just your argument, in your voice, on the record.

Instant Policy Analysis

Don't spend hours reading 500 pages of legal jargon. Commentari's AI digests complex statutes and regulations into clear, unbiased summaries that you can actually understand. This feature breaks down the most critical aspects of a proposed rule or bill, highlighting the specific issues that agencies must address under the Administrative Procedure Act. It saves you time and ensures you grasp the nuances of the policy before you even start writing.

Smart Drafting

Write professional, effective public comments in seconds. You choose your stance (support, neutral, or against) and your tone (professional, legalistic, witty, or urgent). The AI then generates a draft comment that articulates your position in a unique, persuasive, and legally sound manner. The system ensures each comment is original, avoiding the duplicate language that regulators dismiss, and it helps you structure your argument for maximum impact.

Collective Impact for Organizations

For nonprofits, advocacy groups, and associations, Commentari provides a suite of tools to coordinate campaigns and track collective impact. You can create branded campaign pages, use real-time member analytics to see who has acted, and access automated policy tracking that monitors new rules nightly. The platform also offers citation verification to ensure accuracy and embeddable donation links to support your fundraising efforts. This transforms individual comments into a coordinated, powerful movement.

Verified Submission Integration

Commentari handles the paperwork for you. Once you generate your comment, the platform submits it directly to the relevant government agency through its verified integration with Regulations.gov or to your legislator through authorized congressional channels. This eliminates the confusion of finding the correct docket or address and ensures your comment is officially recorded as part of the public record. You get confirmation that your voice has been heard.

Individual Citizen Advocates

An individual concerned about a new environmental regulation can use Commentari to quickly understand the rule's impact on their local community. Instead of reading dense legal text, they get a plain-language summary. They can then draft a personal comment explaining how the rule would affect their family's health or property, choosing a "urgent" tone to convey their concern. The comment is submitted directly to the agency, ensuring their unique perspective is on the record and not dismissed as a form letter.

Nonprofit Advocacy Groups

A nonprofit focused on gun safety can use Commentari to mobilize its membership during a comment period on a new ATF rule. The organization creates a branded campaign page, and the AI tool helps each supporter draft a unique comment based on their personal experiences (e.g., a teacher, a parent, a law enforcement officer). The organization tracks engagement metrics in real time, seeing how many comments have been submitted and from which states, allowing them to demonstrate their grassroots power to policymakers.

Small Business Associations

A trade association representing small manufacturers can use Commentari to help its members respond to a proposed OSHA regulation that would impose new compliance costs. The platform summarizes the rule's requirements and identifies the specific economic impact analysis the agency must consider. Each business owner can then draft a comment detailing their unique operational challenges and financial burden, creating a powerful body of evidence that the agency cannot ignore.

Legal and Policy Professionals

A law student or policy analyst can use Commentari as a research and drafting tool. They can input a complex rule to get a structured summary of its key provisions and legal vulnerabilities. The platform helps them identify the specific points an agency must address under the Administrative Procedure Act, such as the need for a reasoned explanation or a response to significant comments. This accelerates their analysis and helps them draft sophisticated, legally precise comments for their clients or employers.

How is Commentari different from just sending a form letter or petition?

Form letters and petitions are often counted by agencies as a single comment, regardless of how many people sign them. Commentari's AI ensures each supporter drafts a unique, original comment in their own voice. Agencies are legally required to respond to substantive, unique comments that raise new issues. By eliminating duplication, Commentari dramatically increases the likelihood that your argument will be read, considered, and addressed in the final rule.

Is Commentari free to use?

Yes, you can sign up for free and get 3 free comments per month. This allows you to test the platform and make your voice heard on the issues that matter most to you without any upfront cost. For users who need more capacity, such as active advocates or organizations running large campaigns, paid plans are available to provide additional comments and advanced features.

How does Commentari ensure my comment is legally effective?

The platform was built by Eric Epstein, a former senior policy counsel at the DOJ and ATF who spent decades reviewing public comments. The AI is trained to identify the specific issues that agencies must address under the Administrative Procedure Act, such as the need for a reasoned explanation, consideration of alternatives, and response to significant comments. Your comment is drafted to meet these legal standards, making it more likely to have a tangible impact on the final rule.

How does Commentari submit my comment to the government?

The platform has a verified, direct integration with Regulations.gov for federal rules and with authorized channels for Congress. When you generate and approve your comment, Commentari automatically submits it to the correct docket or legislator. You do not need to navigate complex government websites or worry about finding the right address. You will receive confirmation that your submission was successful and is part of the official public record.