Category Archives: regulation

It was a short work week due to the 4^th of July holiday, but a busy one. Monday’s Federal Register topped 500 pages, and Tuesday alone saw 29 new final regulations.

On to the data:

• Last week, 79 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register. There were 86 new final rules the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every 2 hours and 8 minutes.
• So far in 2014, 1,749 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,416 new regulations this year. This would be the lowest total in decades; this will likely change as the year goes on.
• Last week, 1,617 new pages were added to the Federal Register.
• Currently at 38,201 pages, the 2014 Federal Register is on pace for 74,612 pages, which would be the lowest total since 2009.
• 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 of them in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance costs of 2014’s economically significant regulations currently ranges from $3.96 billion to $4.38 billion. They also affect several billion dollars of government spending.
• 145 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2014, 321 new rules affect small businesses; 48 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• New grading requirements for grapefruit.
• New handling regulations for pistachios.
• The Energy Department is instituting new test procedures and energy conservation standards for residential furnace fans.
• 16 new regulations from the Coast Guard; read them all here.
• Scalloped hammerhead sharks are now an endangered species.
• The wood stork is now a threatened species.

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

There were no major regulations this week, but more than 80 little ones, covering everything from a religious exemption to the federal tanning tax to imported cotton.

On to the data:

• Last week, 86 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register. There were 78 new final rules the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every one hour and 57 minutes.
• So far in 2014, 1,670 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,367 new regulations this year. This would be the lowest total in decades; this will likely change as the year goes on.
• Last week, 1,149 new pages were added to the Federal Register.
• Currently at 36,584 pages, the 2014 Federal Register is on pace for 73,759 pages, which would be the lowest total since 2009.
• 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 of them in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance costs of 2014’s economically significant regulations currently ranges from $2.33 billion to $2.72 billion. They also affect several billion dollars of government spending.
• One-hundred and forty final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2014, 315 new rules affect small businesses; 46 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• The Food and Nutrition Service updated its information collection procedures for school lunches.
• The Agricultural Marketing Service has adjusted its tax on imported cotton.
• You may have heard of the Snooki tax, which taxes tanning bed use and other indoor tanning services. The IRS has implemented a religious exemption from the tanning tax.
• Now that it’s 2014, the Social Security Administration has devised a way for its form SSA-538 to be submitted electronically.
• It was another busy week for the Coast Guard, with another 24 final regulations this week, again mostly dealing with fireworks shows and drawbridge schedules.
• If you’re planning on exporting old-fashioned cathode ray tubes, check with the EPA first.
• The EPA also withdrew a final regulation for combustion turbine alternative control requirements for the Milwaukee-Racine area in Wisconsin.
• The Philippine cockatoo, yellow-crested cockatoo, and the white cockatoo are now endangered species.

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

The Federal Register topped the 35,000-page mark last week. New regulations cover everything from tariffs on foreign cheese to dental implants to fireworks shows.

On to the data:

• Last week, 78 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register. There were 79 new final rules the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every 2 hours and 9 minutes.
• So far in 2014, 1,584 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,328 new regulations this year. This would be the lowest total in decades; this will likely change as the year goes on.
• Last week, 1,265 new pages were added to the Federal Register.
• Currently at 35,435 pages, the 2014 Federal Register is on pace for 74,444 pages, which would be the lowest total since 2009.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. 19 such rules have been published so far this year, none of them in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance costs of 2014’s economically significant regulations currently ranges from $2.33 billion to $2.72 billion. They also affect several billion dollars of government spending.
• 120 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2014, 295 new rules affect small businesses; 43 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• The federal government regulates the number of items served at school breakfasts.
• New standards and conditions for loan guarantees to Jordan.
• Interested in fishing for blueline tilefish in the Gulf of Mexico? Read this new regulation first.
• HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control is changing its name to the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes.
• The Coast Guard issued 25 rules last week. Most of them establish safety zones around fireworks in advance of the July 4 holiday, or set when drawbridges go up and down. It is not known why local governments cannot do these simple tasks for themselves.
• It was also a busy week for the EPA, with 13 new regulations. Read them all here.
• The FDA is reclassifying certain dental implants from class III to class II.
• Thinking of exporting unprocessed cedar or crude oil? Think again.
• Having abandoned its ban on woodboard-aged cheese, the federal government continues its war on foreign cheese by revising its dairy tariffs and quotas.

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

The 2014 Federal Register climbed past the 34,000-page mark last week, adding nearly 80 final regulations, along with 48 proposed regulations.

On to the data:

• Last week, 79 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register. There were 75 new final rules the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every 2 hours and 8 minutes.
• So far in 2014, 1,506 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,303 new regulations this year. This would be the lowest total in decades; this will likely change as the year goes on.
• Last week, 1,351 new pages were added to the Federal Register.
• Currently at 34,170 pages, the 2014 Federal Register is on pace for 74,935 pages, which would be the lowest total since 2009.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. 19 such rules have been published so far this year, none of them in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance costs of 2014’s economically significant regulations currently ranges from $2.33 billion to $2.72 billion. They also affect several billion dollars of government spending.
• 119 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2014, 285 new rules affect small businesses; 42 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• The Small Business Administration is adjusting its definition of a small business to account for inflation. Businesses above a certain size (which varies by sector) do not qualify for the SBA’s preferential treatment, and must seek rents elsewhere.
• The FCC sets the rate which prison inmates are charged for phone calls.
• California’s olive growers will enjoy a lower assessment rate on their crops going forward. For every ton of olives grown they will owe the Agricultural Marketing Service $15.21, down from $21.16. The money funds the federal government’s California Olive Committee, and websites such as this one.
• On June 11, the FDA confirmed an effective date of May 13 for an earlier food additive regulation from April.
• The New Mexico meadow jumping mouse is now an endangered species.
• Fireworks season is heating up. The Coast Guard issued 18 rules this week, many creating temporary safety zones around local fireworks shows near water.

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

New regulations published last week cover everything from what to call UV tanning lamps to the federal government’s National Sheep Industry Improvement Center.

On to the data:

• Last week, 75 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register. There were 62 new final rules the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every 2 hours and 15 minutes.
• So far in 2014, 1,427 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,273 new regulations this year. This would be the lowest total in decades; this will likely change as the year goes on.
• Last week, 1,652 new pages were added to the Federal Register.
• Currently at 32,819 pages, the 2014 Federal Register is on pace for 75,273 pages, which would be the lowest total since 2009.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. 19 such rules have been published so far this year, one of them in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance costs of 2014’s economically significant regulations currently ranges from $2.33 billion to $2.72 billion. They also affect several billion dollars of government spending.
• 118 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2014, 273 new rules affect small businesses; 41 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• This week’s economically significant rule is from the Energy Department. Its new energy efficiency standards for walk-in freezers and coolers will cost an estimated $511 to $528 million per year.
• The California tiger salamander is an endangered species that was given designated critical habitat in Sonoma County, California in 2011. A correction to that designation was issued on Friday.
• You are now allowed to import female squash flowers from Israel.
• The Federal Trade Commission updated its regulations under the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939.
• HHS is withdrawing a regulation regarding the use of its official logo.
• The federal government has a National Sheep Industry Improvement Center. A new rule amends some of its policies.
• Webber’s ivesia, a plant species in California and Nevada, is now a threatened species. It is receiving 2,170 acres of critical habitat.
• UV lamps used for tanning are now henceforth to be known as sunlamp products, according to the FDA.
• Five species of sturgeon added to the endangered species list.

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

The Memorial Day-shortened work week still saw the Federal Register grow by 1,200 pages, with more than 60 new regulations published.

On to the data:

• Last week, 62 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register. There were 66 new final rules the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every 2 hours and 43 minutes.
• So far in 2014, 1,352 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 3,250 new regulations this year. This would be the lowest total in decades; this will likely change as the year goes on.
• Last week, 1,200 new pages were added to the Federal Register.
• Currently at 31,167 pages, the 2014 Federal Register is on pace for 74,921 pages, which would be the lowest total since 2009.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. 18 such rules have been published so far this year, one of them in the past week.
• The total estimated compliance costs of 2014’s economically significant regulations currently ranges from $1.82 billion to $2.19 billion. They also affect several billion dollars of government spending.
• 116 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year.
• So far in 2014, 265 new rules affect small businesses; 39 of them are classified as significant.

Highlights from selected final rules published last week:

• A new Affordable Care Act regulation is this week’s economically significant rule. Its estimated cost ranges from $48.78 to $49.52 million. The balance of the $100 million threshold for economic significance comes from estimated benefits.
• Many of the government’s procurement and contractor regulations have nothing to do with price or quality. For example, one new rule from the Defense Department, GSA, and NASA bases contractor decisions in part on executive pay.
• New energy conservation standards for electric motors.
• Since 1989, the U.S. military has had a Family Advocacy Command Assistance Team. A new regulation updates some of FACAT’s policies and procedures (this one is actually from a few weeks ago, but I just noticed it this week)
• New kiwifruit handling regulations. This is the 189^th federal kiwifruit regulation to appear since 1994. Read them all here.
• New grading requirements for Valencia oranges.
• If you’ve ever wanted to hunt for double-crested cormorants, now’s your chance.

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