Commentari

Commentari is a civic engagement platform designed to bridge the significant gap between the rapid pace of federal rulemaking and the ability of citizens and organizations to respond effectively. Federal agencies issue rules and regulations faster than most stakeholders can analyze and react, and traditional form letters are often dismissed as a single, non-substantive comment. Commentari closes that gap by empowering individuals and organizations to craft unique, substantive public comments that carry weight in the regulatory process. The platform was built by Eric Epstein, a 32-year veteran senior policy counsel for the DOJ and ATF, the primary author of the Ghost Gun Rule, and a Distinguished Presidential Rank Award recipient. His decades of experience on the receiving end of public comments informed the design of a tool that prioritizes authentic, individual voices. Commentari summarizes complex rules and pending legislation in plain language, identifies issues that agencies must address under the Administrative Procedure Act, and helps each supporter draft a unique, substantive comment in their own voice. Submissions are sent directly to Regulations.gov and to Congress through authorized channels, ensuring that every comment is officially recorded and considered. For organizations, the platform offers branded campaign pages, nightly rule tracking, citation verification, engagement metrics, and embeddable donation links. With no templates and no duplication, Commentari ensures that every comment is a genuine argument from a real person, on the record.

Instant Policy Analysis

Commentari eliminates the need to read hundreds of pages of dense legal jargon. Its AI digests complex statutes, regulations, and pending legislation into clear, unbiased summaries that are easy to understand. This feature allows users to quickly grasp the core issues and implications of a policy without spending hours deciphering bureaucratic language, enabling informed participation in the democratic process.

Smart Drafting

Users can write professional, effective public comments in seconds. The platform allows you to choose your stance on a policy and select a tone that matches your personality, from professional and legalistic to witty or urgent. The AI then helps you articulate your position clearly and persuasively, generating a unique comment that reflects your personal perspective rather than a generic template.

Campaign and Analytics Dashboard for Organizations

Nonprofits, advocacy groups, and associations can use Commentari to lead their communities to meaningful action. The platform provides tools to create branded campaign pages, track member engagement in real-time, and monitor policy changes overnight. Organizations can also verify citations, measure the collective impact of their community's comments, and embed donation links directly into their campaigns.

Verified Submission and Integration

Every comment drafted on Commentari is submitted directly to the appropriate government channels, including Regulations.gov and Congress, through verified integrations. This ensures that your voice is officially recorded and considered by decision-makers. The platform handles the paperwork, making the process of making an official comment seamless and reliable for both individuals and large organizations.

Individual Citizen Advocates

An individual who is concerned about a proposed environmental regulation can use Commentari to quickly understand the 500-page rule. They can then draft a unique comment expressing their personal concerns in a professional tone, and submit it directly to the federal agency. This empowers a single citizen to have a meaningful impact on policy that affects their community.

Advocacy Groups and Nonprofits

A nonprofit focused on healthcare can launch a branded campaign to mobilize its supporters against a new bill. Using Commentari, the organization can provide its members with a clear summary of the legislation, guide them on key issues, and track how many unique comments are submitted. The platform ensures each supporter's voice is unique, preventing their collective effort from being dismissed as a mass form-letter campaign.

Legal and Policy Professionals

A policy analyst at a think tank can use Commentari to stay ahead of new regulations. The nightly rule tracking feature alerts them to changes, and the citation verification tool ensures their comments are legally sound. They can quickly draft detailed, legally precise comments that address specific requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, making their professional input more effective.

Local Community Leaders

A city council member or community organizer can use Commentari to help residents understand a federal grant program that impacts local infrastructure. They can guide residents through the process of finding the relevant policy, selecting their stance, and generating a comment. This empowers the community to voice its needs directly to federal officials, ensuring local concerns are part of the national conversation.

How does Commentari ensure my comment is unique and not a form letter?

Commentari is built on the principle of no templates and no duplication. The AI generates a draft based on your selected stance and tone, but it is designed to help you articulate your own personal perspective. The platform encourages you to review and edit the draft, ensuring the final submission is a unique argument written in your own voice, which prevents it from being dismissed as a mass-produced comment.

Is my submission officially recorded by the government?

Yes. Commentari has verified integrations with key government platforms such as Regulations.gov and authorized channels for Congress. When you submit your comment through the platform, it is sent directly to these official systems. This ensures your comment is part of the official public record and will be considered by the relevant agency or legislative body.

Who built Commentari and what is their background?

Commentari was built by Eric Epstein, a 32-year veteran senior policy counsel for the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He is the primary author of the Ghost Gun Rule and a recipient of the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award. His decades of experience reading and evaluating public comments for federal agencies directly informed the design of the platform.

How can organizations use Commentari for their advocacy campaigns?

Organizations can leverage Commentari to create branded campaign pages, track member engagement with real-time analytics, and monitor policy changes with nightly updates. The platform also offers citation verification to ensure legal accuracy and embeddable donation links. This allows nonprofits, advocacy groups, and associations to coordinate large-scale, effective campaigns where every supporter submits a unique, substantive comment.