Category Archives: regulation

It was a short work week for the federal government due to the Columbus Day holiday. But agencies still found the time to publish new regulations ranging from livestock herding to washing machines.

On to the data:

• Last week, 63 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 68 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 40 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 2,674 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,343 new regulations this year, far fewer than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,796 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,245 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 62,981 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 78,043 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. 22 such rules have been published so far this year, one in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance cost of 2015’s economically significant regulations ranges from $1.73 billion to $1.88 billion for the current year.
• 223 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 435 new rules affect small businesses; 61 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• The Health and Human Services Department issued a new 159-page economically significant rule for medical records (would it be cheaper for them to just ask the NSA for their medical record information?). I am scoring this rule at its estimated cost during 2015 of between $39.07 million and 64.08 million. Its annual costs are estimated to exceed $100 million in each of the next two years, hence its economically significant classification. I am not including future years’ costs in our running compliance cost tally.
• Corrections to the Energy Department’s recent washing machine energy-efficiency testing rules.
• Automatic emergency brakes for trucks may eventually become mandatory—this is potentially one step on the way to self-driving trucks, though if regulators lock into one technological standard, they may prevent future improvements, and therefore harm long-run safety. Tread carefully, NHTSA!
• An effort to make foreign-born livestock herders feel more at home on the range?
• New FDA labeling requirements for infant formula will become effective on June 22, 2016.
• Design standards for highways.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and@RegoftheDay on Twitter.

The 2015 Federal Register broke the 60,000-page barrier in a big way, with new rules ranging from tuna boats to Nicaraguan archaeology.

On to the data:

• Last week, 68 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 76 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 28 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 2,611 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,330 new regulations this year, far fewer than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,245 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,832 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 61,185 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 78,043 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. 21 such rules have been published so far this year, none in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance cost of 2015’s economically significant regulations ranges from $1.69 billion to $1.81 billion for the current year.
• 219 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 427 new rules affect small businesses; 60 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• If you owe money to the Department of Labor, it has new procedures forgarnishing your wages.
• The federal government has a Tuna Vessel Monitoring Program. It maintains it under the auspices of the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended in 2000.
• Sulfur content of fuels in Rhode Island.
• The dusky sea snake and three species of coral snake are now endangered species.
• A new regulation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991.
• Restrictions on importing archaeological artifacts from Nicaragua.
• The black pinesnake is now a threatened species.
• The Florida bristle fern is now an endangered species.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and@RegoftheDay on Twitter.

In another busy week, federal agencies issued new regulations for everything from tomato plants to airplane seats.

On to the data:

• Last week, 76 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 84 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 13 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 2,543 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,329 new regulations this year, far fewer than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,832 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,301 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 59,940 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 78,456 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. 21 such rules have been published so far this year, none in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance cost of 2015’s economically significant regulations ranges from $1.69 billion to $1.81 billion for the current year.
• 213 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 413 new rules affect small businesses; 57 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• Federal regulations allow the importation of live tomato plants from Mexico, which U.S. growers then re-plant in a greenhouse—but there are rules for which “growing media,” also known as soil, are allowed.
• New overtime pay rules for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s employees.
• Federal regulations require truck drivers to use electronic devices to track their working hours. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a new rule for editing the records.
• The military macaw and the great green macaw, both native to Central and South America, are now endangered species.
• The Dakota skipper, a type of butterfly, is the recipient of 19,903 acres of critical habitat in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The Poweshiek skipperling, another butterfly species, is receiving 25,888 acres of critical habitat in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, both Dakotas, and Wisconsin.
• 23 plant and animal species in the Mariana Islands, Micronesia, and other nearby islands are also getting endangered status.
• Airlines must publish seat size information online so young parents will know which types of baby carriers will work on their flights.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and @RegoftheDay on Twitter.

A slow week closed with a bang, with Friday’s Federal Register containing 15 proposed regulations, 25 final regulations, and 502 pages. Throughout the week, new regulations cover everything from bird-hunting to sorghum.

On to the data:

• Last week, 84 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 77 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation precisely every two hours.
• So far in 2015, 2,467 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,316 new regulations this year, far fewer than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,301 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,876 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 58,108 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 78,210 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. 21 such rules have been published so far this year, none in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance cost of 2015’s economically significant regulations ranges from $1.69 billion to $1.81 billion for the current year.
• 209 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 400 new rules affect small businesses; 56 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• Honda apparently makes jets which have Lithium-ion batteries. New federal regulations regarding.
• New energy efficiency standards for certain kinds of air conditioners and heat pumps.
• New Freedom of Information Act standards for government officials’ gift disclosures.
• Mail management requirements for federal agencies. Hopefully this is an upgrade from shredders and/or trash bins.
• The Cuba embargo continues to loosen, which is a wonderful thing for Cubans and Americans alike. A new regulation, titled “Enhancing Support for the Cuban People,” rather overstates the case. But, by loosening travel restrictions, it is still a step in the right direction.
• Also, “Cuban Assets Control Regulations.”
• Most companies have to earn their own way. But the Energy Department specializes in giving people’s money to energy companies. It is updating it requirements for doing so.
• Late-season migratory bird-hunting regulations.
• The federal government will continue to run its Sorghum Promotion, Research, and Information Program.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and@RegoftheDay on Twitter.

Agencies last week proposed 51 new regulations, and finalized 77 other rules covering everything from aluminum to Peruvian citrus.

On to the data:

• Last week, 77 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 48 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 11 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 2,383 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,291 new regulations this year, which would be more than 200 fewer rules than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,876 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,322 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 56,887 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 78,574 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. 21 such rules have been published so far this year, two in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance cost of 2015’s economically significant regulations ranges from $1.69 billion to $1.81 billion for the current year.
• 204 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 392 new rules affect small businesses; 56 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• An economically significant regulation for animal food. Its total estimated annualized cost ranges from $135.6 million to $170.7 million.
• The week’s other economically significant rule is from the Veterans Affairs Department, concerning medication copayments. Since the rule is not exactly forthcoming with cost analysis, I am scoring it as costing the bare minimum $100 million necessary for the rule to qualify as economically significant.
• The Defense Department provides child care services for some of its employees. Care providers must pass background checks.
• New S. Customs rule for intellectual property.
• Fresh off its masterful handling of pollution in the Colorado River, the EPA is setting its sights on ocean dumping in southeastern Texas.
• Secondary aluminum production.
• New Zealand might be the world leader in kiwi fruit production, but new regulations allow Chilean kiwi fruit growers to export to the United States.
• The U.S. Postal Service maintains its own courts and judges. Here are their rules of practice lawyers must follow.
• Courtesy of the FDA, “Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food.”
• Importing citrus from Peru.
• Fresh peppers, too.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and @RegoftheDay on Twitter.

A new International Trade Commission regulation gives a useful reminder of the holy trinity of price regulation: if a company charges a higher price than its competitors, it is guilty of having excessive market power over its competitors. If it charges the same price as its competitors, it is guilty of collusion. And if it charges lower prices than its competitors, it is guilty of unfairly undercutting its competitors.

Other new regulations from last week range from cotton imports to blueberries.

On to the data:

• Last week, 80 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 73 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 6 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 2,258 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,282 new regulations this year, which would be more than 200 fewer rules than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,313 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,261 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 53,689 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 78,037 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Nineteen such rules have been published so far this year, none in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance cost of 2015’s economically significant regulations ranges from $1.32 billion to $1.41 billion for the current year.
• 188 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 379 new rules affect small businesses; 55 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• The Energy Department gives substantial amounts of money to private businesses. A new regulation specifies some of its requirements for doing so.
• New restrictions for medical marijuana users who use SNAP funds to purchase their medication.
• The federal government has a Cotton Research and Promotion Program. A new regulation adjusts its assessments for cotton importers.
• New membership requirements for the federal government’s U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.
• Now that it’s 2015, U.S. Customs is allowing certain vehicle importers to submit their paperwork electronically.
• The International Trade Commission is investigating whether importers are charging their customers low prices. If the ITC thinks their prices are consumer-friendly, those importers may be punished; recall a similar state-level controversy in Wisconsin in which a grocery store is facing legal action for charging lower prices than its competitors.
• Until now, Lithuanian meat exporters were forbidden to sell to customers in the United States. Now they can—subject to certain conditions.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and@RegoftheDay on Twitter.

As the 2015 Federal Register topped 50,000 pages, federal agencies issued new regulations for everything from bicycles to tuna.

On to the data:

• Last week, 73 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 76 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 18 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 2,178 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,260 new regulations this year, which would be more than 200 fewer rules than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,261 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,993 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 50,334 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 75,351 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Nineteen such rules have been published so far this year, none in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance cost of 2015’s economically significant regulations ranges from $1.32 billion to $1.41 billion for the current year.
• 181 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 367 new rules affect small businesses; 53 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• New energy conservation tests for external power supplies. Does this mean more electronic devices will use internal power supplies going forward?
• 16 new regulations from the FAA. See them all here.
• 11 new regulations from the EPA. See them all here.
• In Wilmington, North Carolina, there is a drawbridge crossing the Northeast Cape Fear River. Federal regulations determine when it goes up and down.
• Some changes to the default retirement investment fund for federal employees.
• Quotas for tuna fishing.
• New federal rules for riding bicycles in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and @RegoftheDay on Twitter.

Nearly 2,000 Federal Register pages contain regulations for everything from pay ratios to apricots.

On to the data:

• Last week, 76 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 83 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 13 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 2,105 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,248 new regulations this year, which would be several hundred fewer rules than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,993 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,285 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 49,073 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 74,969 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Nineteen such rules have been published so far this year, none in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance cost of 2015’s economically significant regulations ranges from $1.32 billion to $1.41 billion for the current year.
• 177 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 352 new rules affect small businesses; 53 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• Esophageal thermal regulation devices are now class Type II medical devices.
• OSHA is streamlining its procedures for approving state governments’ occupational safety and health plans.
• The SEC’s controversial Dodd-Frank regulation requiring public companies to disclose the pay ratios between their highest-paid and median-paid employeeswas published. It is 85 pages long.
• Designated critical habitat for the Florida Brickell-bush (2,624 acres) andCarter’s small-flowered flax (2,649 acres).
• New regulations for apricots grown in Washington State; Irish potatoes grown in southeastern states; and onions grown in Idaho and Oregon.
• Regulations for water heaters.
• Reporting requirements for when your boat either comes or goes.
• Revised critical habitat for Hawaiian monk seals.
• Yet another spearmint oil regulation.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and@RegoftheDay on Twitter.

The number of this year’s new regulations zoomed past the 2,000 mark, though the pace is still slower than usual. This week’s new rules cover everything from mailboxes to macadamia tree insurance.

On to the data:

• Last week, 83 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 71 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and two minutes.
• So far in 2015, 2,029 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,231 new regulations this year, which would be several hundred fewer rules than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,285 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,586 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 47,080 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 74,969 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Nineteen such rules have been published so far this year, none in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance cost of 2015’s economically significant regulations ranges from $1.32 billion to $1.41 billion for the current year.
• 169 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 337 new rules affect small businesses; 51 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• A clarification of federal price controls for debit card interchange fees.
• Design standards for mailboxes.
• The Coast Guard issued 17 new regulations, mostly establishing safety zones around local events and determining when drawbridges may go up and down.
• Another Dodd-Frank regulation, this one involving swaps. It is 117 pages long.
• A correction to an earlier regulation for importing Unshu oranges from Japan.
• The federal government sells macadamia tree crop insurance.
• Energy usage standards for water heaters.
• 5,755 acres of critical habitat for the Vandenberg monkeyflower.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and @RegoftheDay on Twitter.