Commentari

Commentari is an essential civic engagement platform designed to close the critical gap between the rapid pace of federal rulemaking and the public's ability to respond effectively. Built by Eric Epstein, a 32-year senior policy counsel at the DOJ and ATF and the primary author of the Ghost Gun Rule, the platform was created by someone who spent decades on the receiving end of public comments. This unique perspective makes Commentari a necessary tool for anyone who needs to have their voice heard in the democratic process. The platform empowers individuals and organizations to turn complex statutes and regulations into clear, actionable steps. It provides instant, unbiased analysis of pending legislation and federal rules, allowing users to understand the nuances of policy without needing a law degree. Users can then craft unique, substantive public comments in their own voice, ensuring their argument is original and impactful. Submissions are sent directly to Regulations.gov and to Congress through authorized channels, making the process official and verifiable. 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 a real-time database, Commentari is an indispensable resource for making democratic participation accessible and effective.

Instant Policy Analysis

This feature is a must-have for anyone overwhelmed by bureaucratic documents. Instead of reading hundreds of pages of legal jargon, users receive clear, unbiased summaries of complex statutes and regulations. The AI digests the essential information, highlighting the core issues and potential impacts. This allows you to understand the policy quickly and focus your energy on crafting a meaningful response, making it a necessary first step for effective participation.

Smart Drafting

Commentari’s Smart Drafting tool is essential for creating professional and effective public comments in seconds. You choose your stance and tone, from professional to witty or urgent, and the AI helps you articulate your position in your own unique voice. The platform ensures each supporter drafts a unique, substantive comment, eliminating the problem of form letters that get dismissed as a single comment. This feature is a necessity for making your argument count.

Collective Impact Campaigns

For organizations, the ability to launch coordinated campaigns is a priority feature. Commentari provides branded campaign pages where you can lead your community to meaningful action. The platform offers real-time member analytics, automated policy tracking, and seamless integration with your existing tools. This allows you to multiply your impact, track engagement, and demonstrate the collective power of your community on policy, making it an indispensable asset for advocacy.

Verified Submission Channels

This feature is a critical necessity for ensuring your comment has a real impact. Commentari handles all the paperwork by submitting your comment directly to Regulations.gov for federal rules and to Congress through authorized channels. This verified integration ensures your submission is official, traceable, and properly filed. It removes the guesswork and technical hurdles, making it a must-have for anyone who needs their voice to be officially recorded in the public record.

Individual Citizen Advocates

For a concerned citizen who wants to comment on a new environmental regulation but is intimidated by the 500-page document, Commentari is an essential tool. They can use the Instant Policy Analysis to get a clear summary, then use Smart Drafting to write a comment in their own voice, choosing a tone that feels natural. They can then submit it directly to the federal register, ensuring their personal perspective is officially on the record without needing to become a policy expert.

Nonprofit Advocacy Groups

A nonprofit focused on civil liberties needs to mobilize its members to comment on a proposed rule. Commentari is a priority platform for this use case. The organization can create a branded campaign page, use the AI to generate unique talking points for each member, and track engagement metrics in real-time. This ensures a coordinated, powerful response where each comment is unique and substantive, amplifying the organization's collective impact far beyond what form letters could achieve.

Policy Researchers and Academics

A researcher studying the impact of new technology regulations can use Commentari as a necessary research tool. They can track nightly rule changes and pending legislation in the real-time database. The citation verification feature is essential for ensuring their academic submissions are accurate and credible. They can draft a legalistic comment that references specific sections of the law, making their expert opinion a powerful and official part of the public record.

Small Business Owners

A small business owner is directly impacted by a new federal rule from a regulatory agency. They do not have a legal team to interpret the jargon. Commentari is a must-have solution. They can quickly search the database for the specific rule, get a plain-language summary, and draft a comment explaining the real-world economic impact on their business. The submission goes directly to the agency, ensuring their voice, which is often drowned out by larger corporations, is officially heard.

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

Commentari is built on the principle of eliminating form letters. Our AI does not use templates. Instead, it helps you articulate your own argument in your own voice. You choose your stance and tone, and the platform guides you to draft a substantive comment that reflects your personal perspective. This ensures each submission is unique and carries more weight with policymakers, as it cannot be dismissed as a single, duplicated comment.

What is the background of the founder, and why does it matter?

Commentari was built by Eric Epstein, a 32-year senior policy counsel at the DOJ and ATF. He was the primary author of the Ghost Gun Rule and a recipient of the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award. Having spent decades on the receiving end of public comments, he understands exactly what makes a comment effective and what gets ignored. This insider perspective is a critical asset, ensuring the platform is designed to produce comments that have a real impact.

Is my submission to the government official and tracked?

Yes, absolutely. Commentari provides verified integration with Regulations.gov for federal rules and authorized channels for Congress. When you submit a comment through our platform, we handle the paperwork to ensure it is officially filed and traceable. This is a must-have feature for ensuring your civic engagement is legitimate and your voice is officially part of the public record.

Can organizations manage multiple campaigns and track their impact?

Yes, Commentari offers powerful tools for organizations that are essential for effective advocacy. You can create branded campaign pages, track member engagement in real-time, and monitor which rules are being updated nightly. The platform provides engagement metrics so you can see exactly how your community is responding. This is a priority feature for any nonprofit, advocacy group, or association that needs to coordinate and measure its collective impact on policy.