Category Archives: regulation

It was a four-day work week because of the Memorial Day holiday, but regulators still had a busy week, with new regulations covering everything from potato-handling to area code overlays. The Federal Register also topped the 30,000-page mark.

On to the data:

• Last week, 70 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 49 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 24 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 1,236 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of exactly 3,000 new regulations this year, which would be several hundred fewer rules than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 980 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,780 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 30,799 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 74,755 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Nine 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 $1.36 billion to $1.44 billion for the current year.
• 104 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 216 new rules affect small businesses; 32 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• You are now allowed to export arms to Fiji if you like.
• There was also a slight loosening of arms importation rules.
• NASA, in a bit of housecleaning all agencies should emulate once in a while, is repealing some of its obsolete regulations.
• The FDA is reclassifying a naughty-sounding device.
• Another potato-handling regulation.
• And another spearmint oil regulation.
• The Transportation Department is raising its maximum denied boarding compensation, as well as liability limits for luggage.
• The states, not the federal government, will be the final arbiter of area code policy.

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

The big regulatory news from last week was the publication of the semiannual Unified Agenda, which lists most upcoming regulations from rulemaking agencies at various stages of the regulatory process. It is one of the most important transparency tools we have for keeping an eye on new regulations, which may explain why it was published just as people are getting ready for the long Memorial Day weekend, and why the user interface is surprisingly difficult to use for such a simple document. Take a look at the Unified Agenda here, and you’ll see what I mean.

On to the data:

• Last week, 49 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 46 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every three hours and 26 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 1,166 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 2,944 new regulations this year, which would be several hundred fewer rules than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,780 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,333 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 29,819 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 75,301 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Nine 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 $1.36 billion to $1.44 billion for the current year.
• 98 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 203 new rules affect small businesses; 31 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• New blood transfusion rules.
• Often, legal cases involving regulatory agencies are not heard in courts of law. They are instead held in the agencies’ own in-house courts, with their own judges and their own procedures. While we’re sure this couldn’t possibly bias proceedings in the government’s favor in any way, the Labor Department has nonetheless updated some rules for its in-house courts.
• An update to citable legal authorities for Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
• Revisions to sanctions against Russia related to certain events in Ukraine.
• The Personnel Management Office revised its health reimbursement program for federal employees.
• The federal government runs a Biomass Crop Assistance Program.
• The Social Security Administration has new criteria for evaluating cancer.
• Two new regulations for preventing collisions at sea.
• New labeling requirements for tenderized meat.

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

It was a slow week despite more than 1,300 Federal Register pages, with just 36 proposed regulations and fewer than 50 final regulations, ranging from spearmint oil to flying over Baghdad.

On to the data:

• Last week, 46 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 65 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every three hours and 39 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 1,111 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 2,955 new regulations this year, which would be several hundred fewer rules than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,333 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,609 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 28,039 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 74,572 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Eight 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 $917 million to $970 million for the current year.
• 92 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 196 new rules affect small businesses; 30 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• The September 1 date for low-powered television stations to transition to digital broadcasting has been delayed until further notice.
• If you’re a coal miner, there are federal regulations for your doctor appointments.
• The FCC is going to hold an auction for FM broadcast construction permits.
• Increased assessment rates for grape growers in California.
• Another spearmint oil handling regulation. That makes 145 since 1994.
• An “enhancement” of car rental policies for federal employees.
• Don’t fly over Baghdad.

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

Last week’s raft of new rules covers everything from school lunch workers to Flugzeugbau gliders.

On to the data:

• Last week, 65 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, the same number as the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 35 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 1,065 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 2,992 new regulations this year, which would be several hundred fewer rules than the usual total of 3,500-plus.
• Last week, 1,609 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,975 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 26,706 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 74,694 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Eight 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 $917 million to $970 million for the current year.
• Ninety final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 189 new rules affect small businesses; 30 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• A new regulation for construction in confined spaces will cost about $60 million per year. OSHA deserves some kudos for being transparent enough to report its cost estimate even though it wasn’t required to in this case.
• A 108-page economically significant rule for train cars carrying flammable substances. The cost estimate is $2.482 billion over twenty years, which averages out to $124.1 million annually.
• New EPA regulations for using 25 chemicals.
• The Fish and Wildlife Service is relocating from Arlington, Virginia to the next-door Falls Church.
• New federal standards for school lunch workers.
• Another greenhouse gas regulation from the EPA.
• The federal government has a National Organic Program. After a recent review, the program will continue.
• The federal government also has a Boating Infrastructure Grant Program.
• Flugzeugbau gliders.
• Powered exoskeleton regulations.

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

The Federal Register passed the 20,000-page mark in a big way, with Thursday and Friday’s editions alone accounting for more 1,200 pages. New regulations cover everything from macadamia insurance to net neutrality.

On to the data:

• Last week, 57 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 39 new regulations the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 57 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 850 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 2,872 new regulations this year, which would be several hundred fewer rules than the usual total.
• Last week, 2,127 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,120 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 21,533 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 72,747 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Six 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 $693 million to $746 million for the current year.
• 73 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 159 new rules affect small businesses; 25 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• The Social Security Administration is revising its criteria for evaluating hematological disorders and growth disorders and weight loss.
• The IRS issued a correction to a recent rule intended to make it easier for non-profit organizations to apply for 501(c)3 tax-exempt status. No word yet on whether this will apply to all groups, or only those with political views in line with whichever party is currently in power.
• Fossil preservation regulations for government-owned forests.
• The federal government sells macadamia tree insurance. The FDIC just issued a revision to the program.
• If you want to renovate an old building that has lead paint, the EPA requires you to take a certification course, as well as periodic re-certification courses.
• 15 new EPA regulations for the week, in total.
• The Coast Guard issued four regulations determining when certain drawbridges go up and down in Oregon, Maine, and Louisiana.
• The FCC published its 114-page net neutrality rule.

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

It was a slower week than usual, with 34 proposed regulations and fewer than 40 final regulations covering everything from missile exports to hydropower. Even so, the 2015 Federal Register will likely top the 20,000-page mark on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.

On to the data:

• Last week, 39 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 68 new regulations the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every four hours and 19 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 779 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 2,822 new regulations this year, which would be several hundred fewer rules than the usual total.
• Last week, 1,120 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,755 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 19,406 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 70,312 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Six 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 $693 million to $746 million for the current year.
• 68 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 151 new rules affect small businesses; 25 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• A new EPA ozone-related regulation for refrigerators and air conditioners.
• Vacaturs for gasification, also courtesy of the EPA.
• The EPA is also removing a site in Utah from its list of Superfund sites, although “this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.”
• In fact, with 10 new final regulations, the EPA accounted for more than a quarter of the week’s rulemaking. See them all here, along with the 11,785 final regulations the EPA has issued since 1994.
• If your business exports missiles, take note of revised security regulations.
• Revised fees for hydropower generated on government-owned land.
• A new regulation changes the name of the federal government’s Anti-Infective Drugs Committee to the Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee.

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

It was a fairly typical week, with nearly 70 final regulations and more than 50 proposed regulations hitting the books, covering everything from potato handling to flying fuel cells. The big story to keep an eye out for is the preliminary version of the FCC’s net neutrality regulations, which should be appearing shortly. See here for CEI research on net neutrality.

On to the data:

• Last week, 68 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 58 new regulations the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 28 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 742 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 2,898 new regulations this year, which would be several hundred fewer rules than the usual total.
• Last week, 1,755 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,398 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 18,286 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 71,430 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Six 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 $693 million to $746 million for the current year.
• 66 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 146 new rules affect small businesses; 25 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• Fun fact: the federal government has issued 142 regulations concerning Irish potatoes since 1994. The most recent one is here; the whole list is here.
• The FCC announced that the OMB approved its information collection rules for the next three years regarding an incentive auction for electromagnetic spectrum.
• A new regulation under the Children’s Gasoline Burn Prevention Act.
• A land plan for abandoned mines in Mississippi.
• A correction to health insurance exchange regulations from the Affordable Care act. Keep an eye out for another correction towards the end of June.
• Thinking of putting your spare fuel cell cartridges in your checked baggage next time you fly? Think again.
• The northern long-eared bat is now a threatened species.
• Fireworks naming regulations.
• The Education Department is revising its in-house rules for complying with the Freedom of Information Act.

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

New rules published in the last week include everything from the IRS and Executive Office of the President declaring themselves exempt from select transparency laws, to requirements for observing sea turtles.

On to the data:

• Last week, 68 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 60 new regulations the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 28 minutes.
• So far in 2015, 616 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 2,852 new regulations this year, which would be nearly 1,000 fewer rules than the usual total.
• Last week, 1,157 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,242 pages the previous week.
• Currently at 15,133 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 70,061 pages.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Six 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 $693 million to $746 million for the current year.
• 59 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2015, 127 new rules affect small businesses; 21 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

The Social Security Administration is revising its rules for providing evidence of disability for people seeking disability benefits.

• The federal government is abolishing its Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee.
• New rules for reimbursing federal employees for business travel.
• Requirements for observing sea turtles.
• In a move sure to upset transparency hawks from both parties, the Executive Office of the President’s Office of Administration is declaring itself immune to parts of the Freedom of Information Act and other transparency laws.
• The IRS is also declaring its own immunity from certain Privacy Act regulations.
• The rules for sending mail through the U.S. Postal Service.
• Reduced information reporting requirements for light goose hunters.
• New performance standards for wood heaters.

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