Sponsors (8)
The bill clarifies and speeds public-lands rulemaking and aims to reduce automated comment spam, but it does so by restricting who can meaningfully participate and adding identity checks that risk excluding noncitizens and disadvantaged residents, potentially reducing transparency and the diversity of input.
State and local governments, nonprofits, and other U.S. stakeholders: gain clearer rulemaking authority for public lands, which can speed federal land-management decisions and reduce delays.
Rural and urban communities: public lands will continue to be managed under existing rules while new regulations are developed, lowering regulatory gaps and short-term uncertainty for land users.
Public participants and agencies: requiring CAPTCHA-like identity checks may reduce automated or AI-generated comment spam, improving the signal-to-noise ratio in rulemaking records.
Non-U.S. citizens and affected noncitizen residents (including lawful permanent residents, foreign researchers, and noncitizen tribal members): will be excluded from having their public comments considered for BLM rules, reducing representation by people who live near or use public lands.
Older adults, low-income people, those with limited internet access, and people with disabilities: CAPTCHA and identity-validation requirements can create access barriers that reduce their ability to participate in rulemaking.
Local communities, nonprofits, and state/local governments: narrowing who may comment and adding procedural constraints will likely reduce the diversity of input, producing rules that reflect a smaller set of voices.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Limits eligible commenters on certain federal land rulemakings to U.S. citizens and requires agencies to use CAPTCHA-like steps to deter automated/AI submissions while clarifying rulemaking procedures.
Restricts who may submit public comments on Bureau of Land Management and National Forest System rulemakings to “citizens of the United States” and requires federal land-management agencies to adopt measures (commonly called CAPTCHA) to deter automated or AI-generated submissions. It also clarifies and restates Secretarial rulemaking authority under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, requires rulemaking to follow the Administrative Procedure Act (with a limited exception), and directs agencies to continue administering programs under existing rules until new regulations are issued to the maximum extent practicable.
Introduced July 10, 2025 by John A. Barrasso · Last progress July 10, 2025