Inertia Wins!

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.