Commentari

Commentari is a civic engagement platform designed to bridge the gap between federal rulemaking and public participation. Built by Eric Epstein, a 32-year veteran senior policy counsel at the DOJ and ATF, primary author of the Ghost Gun Rule, and Distinguished Presidential Rank Award recipient, the platform addresses a critical democratic deficit: federal agencies issue rules faster than stakeholders can respond, and form letters are routinely dismissed as a single, non-substantive comment. Commentari closes that gap by providing AI-powered tools that help individuals and organizations understand complex regulations and legislation, then draft unique, substantive public comments in their own voice. The platform is for citizens who want to influence policy, advocacy groups and nonprofits coordinating campaigns, and legal professionals seeking efficient compliance analysis. Its core value proposition is authenticity: no templates, no duplication, just your argument on the record. Submissions are sent directly to Regulations.gov for federal rules and to Congress through authorized channels. For organizations, Commentari offers branded campaign pages, nightly rule tracking, citation verification, engagement metrics, and embeddable donation links. With over 1,500 active bills and regulations tracked in real time, Commentari transforms bureaucratic documents into actionable civic participation.

Instant Policy Analysis

Commentari’s AI digests hundreds of pages of legal jargon from statutes and regulations into clear, unbiased summaries. Users do not need to read 500-page federal register documents to understand what is at stake. This feature provides plain language explanations of complex rules, identifies issues that agencies must address under the Administrative Procedure Act, and ensures users grasp the nuance before drafting their comment.

Smart Drafting

Users can generate professional, effective public comments in seconds by selecting their stance and preferred tone. Options include Professional, Legalistic, Witty, and Urgent. The AI helps each supporter draft a unique, substantive comment in their own voice, ensuring no two comments are identical. This feature eliminates the problem of form letters that agencies dismiss as a single, duplicate submission.

Collective Impact and Campaign Management

For organizations, Commentari provides tools to coordinate campaigns and track collective impact. Features include branded campaign pages, real-time member analytics, automated policy tracking, and seamless integration with existing systems. Organizations can monitor engagement metrics, verify citations, and embed donation links directly into campaign materials.

Verified Submission Channels

Comments generated on Commentari are submitted directly to Regulations.gov for federal agency rules and to Congress through authorized channels. This verified integration handles all the paperwork, ensuring that each comment is officially recorded and counted. Users do not need to navigate complex government portals or worry about submission errors.

Individual Citizen Advocacy

A concerned citizen wants to comment on a new environmental regulation but lacks the legal expertise to craft a persuasive argument. They use Commentari to receive a plain language summary of the rule, select their stance and tone, and generate a unique, substantive comment that reflects their personal values. The platform submits the comment directly to Regulations.gov.

Nonprofit Campaign Coordination

An advocacy group launches a campaign against proposed gun control legislation. Using Commentari’s organizational tools, they create a branded campaign page, track which members have submitted comments, and monitor real-time engagement metrics. The platform ensures each supporter drafts a unique comment, preventing the appearance of a coordinated form letter campaign.

Legal Professional Compliance Analysis

A lawyer needs to quickly understand a new federal rule and draft a comment on behalf of a client. Commentari provides instant, unbiased analysis of the rule’s requirements and identifies issues the agency must address under the Administrative Procedure Act. The lawyer can then draft a legally precise comment using the platform’s smart drafting tools.

Community Organizing for Local Issues

A local community group wants to influence a proposed zoning change that affects their neighborhood. They use Commentari to search for the relevant regulation, receive a digestible summary, and coordinate a campaign where each member submits a personalized comment. The platform tracks collective impact and provides metrics to demonstrate community engagement.

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

Commentari’s AI is designed to help each user draft a comment in their own voice. The platform does not use templates or pre-written text. Instead, it guides users through selecting their stance and tone, then generates a unique argument based on their input. This ensures that every submission is distinct and substantive, avoiding the dismissal that form letters often receive from agencies.

Is Commentari free to use?

Yes, Commentari offers a free tier that allows users to generate up to three comments per month. This enables individuals to try the platform and participate in civic engagement without any upfront cost. For organizations requiring higher volume, branded campaigns, and advanced analytics, Commentari offers partnership plans.

How does Commentari handle my personal information and data?

Commentari is committed to protecting user privacy. The platform’s Privacy Policy outlines how personal information and data are collected, used, and protected. Users retain ownership of their comments and can control their account settings. Commentari does not share personal data with third parties without consent, and all submissions are handled through secure, verified channels.

Can I submit comments to both federal agencies and Congress?

Yes, Commentari supports submissions to both federal agencies through Regulations.gov and to Congress through authorized channels. When you generate a comment on a federal rule, it is sent directly to Regulations.gov. For legislation, comments are directed to your elected representatives. The platform handles all the technical requirements for each submission channel.