American Voices in Federal Lands Act
Latest action (11 Jul 2024): Introduced
What this bill does
S. 4718, the "American Voices in Federal Lands Act," would amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to change how public input is handled in certain federal rulemakings covering public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and, in part, the National Forest System. It would rewrite the law's rulemaking section to specify that BLM, when writing regulations affecting public lands, may consider public comments only from U.S. citizens, and it would require BLM to use a CAPTCHA-style verification process in public-comment or public-involvement procedures to screen out submissions generated by artificial intelligence. The bill also confirms that such rulemaking generally follows the standard federal rulemaking procedures under Title 5 of the U.S. Code.
The bill would primarily affect the Department of the Interior (through the BLM) and, to a lesser extent, the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, as well as members of the public, advocacy groups, and businesses that submit comments during federal land-management rulemakings. It aims to limit whose input formally counts and to guard against automated or AI-generated comment submissions.
The bill was introduced in the Senate on July 11, 2024, by Senator John Barrasso with several cosponsors and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. It has not received a vote and, per its status, did not advance during the 118th Congress.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
This bill was introduced on July 11, 2024, in a previous session of Congress, but it did not receive a vote.
Common questions
- What does S. 4718 do?
- S. 4718, the "American Voices in Federal Lands Act," would amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to change how public input is handled in certain federal rulemakings covering public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and, in part, the National Forest System. It would rewrite the law's rulemaking section to specify that BLM, when writing regulations affecting public lands, may consider public comments only from U.S. citizens, and it would require BLM to use a CAPTCHA-style verification process in public-comment or public-involvement procedures to screen out submissions generated by artificial intelligence. The bill also confirms that such rulemaking generally follows the standard federal rulemaking procedures under Title 5 of the U.S. Code. The bill would primarily affect the Department of the Interior (through the BLM) and, to a lesser extent, the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, as well as members of the public, advocacy groups, and businesses that submit comments during federal land-management rulemakings. It aims to limit whose input formally counts and to guard against automated or AI-generated comment submissions. The bill was introduced in the Senate on July 11, 2024, by Senator John Barrasso with several cosponsors and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. It has not received a vote and, per its status, did not advance during the 118th Congress.
- Has S. 4718 become law?
- Not yet. As of 11 Jul 2024, S. 4718 is introduced.
- Who sponsored S. 4718?
- S. 4718 was sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso [R-WY] (Republican-WY), with 3 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 4718?
- Introduced (11 Jul 2024).
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