American Voices in Federal Lands Act
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (17 Dec 2025): Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
What this bill does
S. 2262, the American Voices in Federal Lands Act, would amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to change how "public involvement" is defined and conducted when federal agencies write rules for public lands. For rules issued by the Bureau of Land Management, the bill specifies that only comments submitted by "citizens of the United States" may be considered, and it directs the Secretary to implement a CAPTCHA-style verification process for public comment periods intended to screen out submissions generated by artificial intelligence. The bill also makes related technical changes to rulemaking procedures, including how existing regulations apply while new rules are being developed and clarifying that certain notice-and-comment exemptions under general administrative law do not apply.
The bill primarily affects the Department of the Interior (through the Bureau of Land Management) and the Department of Agriculture (through the Forest Service), as well as members of the public, advocacy groups, businesses, and others who participate in federal rulemaking on public lands. It would limit whose comments count toward BLM rulemaking and add a verification step for those submitting comments.
The bill was introduced in the Senate on July 10, 2025, by Senator Barrasso with several cosponsors, and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. On December 17, 2025, the committee ordered the bill reported favorably with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. It would next need to be considered by the full Senate, and, if passed, by the House of Representatives, before it could be signed into law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
American Voices in Federal Lands Act
This bill directs the Bureau of Land Management to modify its public comment system by (1) only considering public comments from U.S. citizens; and (2) deterring attempts at public involvement via artificial intelligence (AI), such as AI bots, by establishing and implementing a Completely Automated Public Turing Test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA test).
Timeline
17 Dec 2025
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Common questions
- What does S. 2262 do?
- S. 2262, the American Voices in Federal Lands Act, would amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to change how "public involvement" is defined and conducted when federal agencies write rules for public lands. For rules issued by the Bureau of Land Management, the bill specifies that only comments submitted by "citizens of the United States" may be considered, and it directs the Secretary to implement a CAPTCHA-style verification process for public comment periods intended to screen out submissions generated by artificial intelligence. The bill also makes related technical changes to rulemaking procedures, including how existing regulations apply while new rules are being developed and clarifying that certain notice-and-comment exemptions under general administrative law do not apply. The bill primarily affects the Department of the Interior (through the Bureau of Land Management) and the Department of Agriculture (through the Forest Service), as well as members of the public, advocacy groups, businesses, and others who participate in federal rulemaking on public lands. It would limit whose comments count toward BLM rulemaking and add a verification step for those submitting comments. The bill was introduced in the Senate on July 10, 2025, by Senator Barrasso with several cosponsors, and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. On December 17, 2025, the committee ordered the bill reported favorably with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. It would next need to be considered by the full Senate, and, if passed, by the House of Representatives, before it could be signed into law.
- Has S. 2262 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for S. 2262. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored S. 2262?
- S. 2262 was sponsored by Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY] (R-WY), with 7 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 2262?
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. (17 Dec 2025).
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American Voices in Federal Lands Act
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