Published April 30, 2026

FRAC often encourages people and organizations to submit public comment to the federal government, either in support of policies that improve nutrition, food security, and well-being, or against initiatives or rule changes that will cause harm. For example, FRAC has urged advocates to submit comments to protect school meal access, oppose changes to SNAP stocking rules, and restore food security data collection. 

The opportunity to provide comment is part of federal law. The Administrative Procedure Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act require the federal government to seek input from the public on new rules, rule changes, and information collection activities — and to meaningfully consider those comments before final decisions are made.  

What Types of Things Are Open to Comment? 

There are three main categories of notices open to public comment: rules, requests for information, and information collection requests.  

Rules: After Congress passes laws, federal agencies have the responsibility for creating implementable rules and regulations. Agencies are required to solicit public input if they add, change, or remove a rule. For example, in 2024, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed changing a rule about how the Thrifty Food Plan is calculated in Hawaii.  

Requests for Information: Agencies know that a lot of expertise lies outside the federal government, and they often seek input from experts and stakeholders on a variety of topics. The USDA’s request for input on their data, analysis, and research is one of these types of requests for information.  

Information Collection Activities: When the federal government wants to collect information from the American people, they must give the public the opportunity to comment, with a focus on the balance between the goals of the information collection weighed against the amount of time it will take respondents to provide information. For example, when the USDA sought to study the effects of waiving SNAP interviews, they invited public comments on the research plan. 

What Is the Process?  

First, the agency issues a notice in the Federal Register, a daily publication about the activities of the federal government. This can be a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), a Request for Information (RFI), or an Information Collection Request (ICR). The notice includes a description of what the agency intends to do and why, the perspectives they’re interested in gathering, the expected impact of a proposed rule, or the projected time cost of an information collection. (Agencies also publish their regulatory agendas twice a year, listing the rules they are developing and plan to propose in the next six months. These agendas are posted in the Federal Register.) 

Different types of requests are open for comments for different lengths of time. NPRMs are typically open for 60 days. ICRs usually have a 60-day period for initial comments followed by an additional 30-day comment period. 

Public comments are submitted through regulations.gov. A responder can type in a text box or upload a document, such as a PDF. Comments can usually be submitted by mail as well. Web-based comments can be viewed by anyone as soon as they are submitted.  

After the commenting period ends, the agency sorts and reviews the comments. They identify comments submitted as part of campaigns and group them together. They also group comments that make similar arguments, so they can be addressed together. For rulemaking, the agency assesses the relevance of a comment and determines if the points raised have an impact on the proposed rule.  

Who Should Submit Comments? 

Everyone! There are no restrictions on who can submit comments. Comments can come from individuals, groups of people such as unions or professional associations, or even local governments. Comments are more likely to be considered “substantive” if they come from experts or impacted stakeholders.  

What Does the Government Do With Comments? 

In the rulemaking process, agencies are legally required to consider all substantive comments. In many cases, agencies will include a summary of comments received when they publish a final rule. See, for example, the discussion of the comments received on an NPRM to expand the definition of a public assistance household.  

Agencies are not required to directly respond to comments when publishing a final rule, but the updated text does need to address the relevant issues raised by commenters. If agencies ignore substantive comments, they can be challenged in court, and the public comments are part of the evidence used to show that an agency did not follow the law. 

Do Public Comments Really Make a Difference? 

Yes! Public comments really do make a difference.  

First, the existence of the public comment process means that agencies have to explain what they want to do and why, and the anticipated impact of a new rule or the elimination of a rule. Research projects have to describe their methodology and account for the time they take from citizens. This transparency is critical to a democratic society. 

Second, public comments can result in meaningful changes to a proposed rule. Research studies that compare the initial text in an NPRM to a final rule have shown that public comments make a difference. One example is the case of changes to SNAP categorical eligibility, proposed by USDA in 2019. After getting nearly 158,000 comments opposing the rule, USDA determined that the proposed revisions to categorical eligible “did not sufficiently justify the impact on the 1.7 million SNAP households that would have lost eligibility,” and withdrew the rule change. 

Finally, even when the government declines to act on comments or suggestions, the comments remain in the public record. This is helpful for researchers, historians, and future policymaking. The comments are also part of the administrative record should there be a legal challenge to the final rule.  

What Should a Public Comment Say? 

  • Make it clear what your position is. Say, “I am writing in support of …” or “I oppose the proposal to …” 
  • Say who you are and why you care. As an individual, explain why this matters to you, using your personal story. If you are writing as part of an organization, state what your group does or who it represents and explain why you have standing to comment (see below for example prompts). 
  • Stay on topic and respond directly to what the agency is describing or asking for. 
  • Include data and evidence. The law says that agencies must consider and respond to substantive comments, so give your comment substance with facts, statistics, and context related to the rule. This can include stories or personal narratives that speak directly to the issue of concern. 

Examples of how to introduce yourself and your position in your comment: 

“As the parent of a special needs child, I know first-hand the challenges of …”  

“We represent the largest public sector union of frontline caseworkers, and this rule meaningfully affects our work and our livelihoods by …”  

“We are physicians who work with the elderly, and we know that our patients need …” “My research lab studies the effect of this …” 

“Our city will bear the economic impact of this change by …” 

The opportunity to submit public comments to the federal government is a key mechanism for communicating with federal agencies and participating in the rulemaking process. Writing strong, clear, and substantive comments allows advocates to influence the rules and regulations that shape how federal nutrition programs operate. FRAC will continue to identify public comment opportunities so that we and our partners can make our voices heard to protect and improve federal nutrition programs and support the people who participate in them.