S. 2262: American Voices in Federal Lands Act

This bill, known as the American Voices in Federal Lands Act, proposes amendments to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 with the following key objectives:

1. Clarification of Public Involvement

The bill aims to specify who qualifies as having a voice in federal land management rulemaking. It changes the phrasing from "citizens" to "citizens of the United States," ensuring that only U.S. citizens are recognized in this context.

2. Rules and Regulations for Public Lands

The bill provides guidelines for how rules and regulations related to public lands are developed and enforced. Specifically, it stipulates:

• The Secretary of the Interior is tasked with creating regulations for public lands and ensuring compliance with various applicable laws.
• The Secretary of Agriculture will establish rules concerning lands in the National Forest System.
• New regulations must adhere to existing procedures outlined in the U.S. legal code, particularly the Administrative Procedure Act, although there are exceptions to certain requirements.
• If no new regulations are established, existing rules will continue to govern the management of applicable lands.

3. Public Involvement Process

The bill dictates that when it comes to federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management:

• Only comments received from U.S. citizens will be taken into account in the regulatory process.
• A process commonly known as Completely Automated Public Test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) will be implemented to prevent artificial intelligence from participating in public comment processes.

4. Administration of Current Lands

In instances where new regulations are not in place, the administration and management of public lands must rely as much as possible on existing rules and regulations until new ones are established.

5. Implementation of the Bill

The bill is designed to enhance clarity and structure around public involvement in federal land rulemaking, thereby potentially streamlining the process and ensuring that only designated U.S. citizens are considered in public commentary.

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