This bill changes section 206 of the E-Government Act of 2002 to give federal agencies new steps for handling large numbers of public comments and comments created by computer software (including artificial intelligence). Agencies would be required, following OMB guidance, to try to verify when a comment was submitted by a human and to identify comments that are part of organized mass submissions. For mass comments, agencies could post a single representative sample or a single variation instead of every identical submission, and must show how many submissions matched that sample. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget must issue guidance within 240 days on verification, tools to identify mass comments, labeling, and use of new technology. Agencies must set policies about posting and considering computer-generated and mass comments within one year and post those policies publicly within 60 days after adoption. Agencies must update their websites and systems, including Regulations.gov, within 18 months. The Comptroller General (GAO) must report within two years about computer-generated comments, their prevalence, effects, and how to identify them. The bill also defines "comment," "computer-generated comment," and "mass comment," and says nothing in the bill prevents an agency from considering a mass comment during rulemaking.
If you submit a public comment on a federal rule, the agency may verify whether a human submitted it and may mark comments that are part of a mass submission. If many people submit identical or nearly identical messages, an agency may display one sample and show a count of matching submissions rather than posting every duplicate. Agencies will publish their policies about how they post and treat mass and computer-generated comments. Regulations.gov and other comment systems are to be updated to follow these rules.
No publicly available information on the bill's costs or budgetary impact is included in the text or metadata provided.
The bill is presented as a way to improve the integrity and management of public comment records in the rulemaking process. It directs OMB to recommend technology and procedures to verify human submissions, identify mass comments, label them clearly, and update shared eRulemaking systems. Supporters would say these steps help agencies handle large comment volumes and make public comment records clearer.
No publicly available information on opponents' views, objections, or critiques is included in the text or metadata provided.