Health rule comment planning template

Purpose, who it is for and how to use it

Purpose: get the deadline right, make your points specific, and keep private health information out of a comment that will be public.

Who it is for: patients, caregivers, health workers, community groups and anyone else who wants to comment. No legal training is needed.

How to use it:

Fill in Part A from the notice itself, not from a news story or social media post.
Work through Parts B and C before you write. Draft your comment on a separate page.
Run the privacy check in Part D on your draft and on every attachment.
Record your proof of submission in Part E, and keep this page with your copy of the comment.

Write in pencil. Do not write diagnoses, member numbers or other private details on this page.

Part A: Identify the rule and the deadline

Item	Write it here
Agency
Rule title (from the notice)
Federal: file code, Federal Register document number, RIN, Regulations.gov docket ID
California: Notice Register issue and date, agency file number
Local: body, meeting date, agenda item number
Deadline date
Deadline time and time zone, exactly as written
Does it say "received by"? (yes / no)
Deadline in my own time zone
How to submit (online / mail / email / hearing / in person)
Contact person for questions (name and phone or email from the notice)
California only: hearing date, or last day to request a hearing in writing (15 days before the comment period closes)
Local only: written-comment cutoff and speaking time limit

Check before you go on:

At least two of the numbers above match on the page where I will submit (for example, the file code and the document number).
If two different deadline times appear (for example, 5 p.m. in the notice and 11:59 p.m. on a website), I will plan around the earlier one.
I picked a personal target date at least two days before the deadline.

Part B: Read the parts that matter

What to read	Notes (section numbers and pages)
Plain-language summary (federal) or informative digest in the notice (California)
The agency's own questions ("seek comment", "solicit comment") that I can answer
The sections that affect me
The agency's stated reasons or evidence (federal preamble; California Initial Statement of Reasons)

Part C: Plan each point

Use one row per point. Most strong comments have one to three.

Section and page	What I want (support, change, remove, clarify)	Why: facts, numbers, examples or sources	Effect on people like me, in general terms	My alternative, if I disagree

Opening lines to adapt:

"Re: [file code or docket ID], [section number and page]."
"I am a [patient / caregiver / health worker / organization type] in [state or county]. This section affects me because …"
"The agency asks [question]. From my experience, …"
"I suggest [alternative] because it would meet the same goal by …"
"I have [no / the following] financial interest in this rule."

For a 3-minute local comment: name the item, give one or two points, say what you are asking the council or board to do, and time yourself reading it aloud.

Part D: Privacy check

Comments are usually posted publicly or kept in a public file. Check your draft and every attachment.

No diagnoses, test results, medicines or treatment details that could identify me
No medical record, Medicare, Medi-Cal, insurance member or Social Security numbers
No date of birth, home address or personal phone number
No names or health details of family members, patients or anyone else
No photos or scans of bills, letters or records
Attachments checked for names and numbers in the text, headers and comments
I chose how to identify myself: individual (name may be published), organization, or anonymous
Wording is civil and makes no threats

Part E: Proof of submission

Item	Write it here
Date and time submitted (my time zone)
How submitted
Comment tracking number or confirmation
Where my saved copy is kept
Date I checked that my comment was posted

Part F: Follow up

Federal: subscribed to the Regulations.gov docket for email updates, or noted the docket page to check later
Federal: watching for the final rule, whose preamble discusses the comments received
California: watching for any 15-day notice of changes, which goes to people who commented, and for the Final Statement of Reasons
Local: checked the minutes or recording to confirm the item and outcome

Limitations

This template is a planning aid, not legal advice, and it does not calculate or guarantee any deadline. Always use the deadline, time and submission method printed in the official notice or agenda, which can differ between agencies and between documents. Some rules take effect before or while comments are taken. A public comment does not resolve an individual claim, bill or complaint. If you need advice about your own legal rights, ask an attorney or a legal aid organization.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions — Regulations.gov, eRulemaking Program, General Services Administration, accessed October 22, 2026.
Tips for Submitting Effective Comments — Regulations.gov, eRulemaking Program, accessed October 22, 2026.
5 U.S.C. 553, Rule making — U.S. Code (2023 edition), U.S. Government Publishing Office, accessed October 22, 2026.
About the Regular Rulemaking Process — California Office of Administrative Law, accessed October 21, 2026.
Government Code section 11346.8 (hearings, comments and changes) — California Legislature, as reproduced by California.Public.Law, accessed October 22, 2026.
Government Code section 54954.3 (Brown Act: public comment) — California Legislature, as reproduced by California.Public.Law, accessed October 22, 2026.
Council Meeting Information — City of Fresno, Office of the City Clerk, accessed October 22, 2026.