The week in regulations: Low-moisture human foods and grass promotion

Lots of transportation-related regulatory cleanup this week. Friday alone had 47 proposed rules, most of them to repeal obsolete regulations. Two courts struck down Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs in separate decisions, though they will remain in effect until an appeal is heard. Before that decision, President Trump had announced a 50 percent tariff against Europe, then postponed it. He also announced a 25 percent smartphone tariff. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from auxiliary fuel tanks to spare fuses.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 50 final regulations last week, after 53 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every three hours and 22 minutes.
• With 956 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 2,320 final regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 3,248 final regulations in 2024, 3,018 in 2023, and 3,168 in 2022.
• Agencies issued 54 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 31 the previous week.
• With 581 proposed regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 1,410 proposed regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 1,769 proposed regulations in 2024, 2,102 proposed regulations in 2023, and 2,044 in 2022.
• Agencies published 354 notices last week, after 455 notices the previous week.
• With 8,087 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 19,629 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 25,506 notices in 2024, 22,902 in 2023, and 28,932 in 2022.
• Last week, 1,066 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 981 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2025 contains 224 pages.
• With 23,264 pages so far, the 2025 Federal Register is on pace for 56,466 pages.
• For comparison, the 2024 Federal Register has an all-time record 107,261 pages. The 2023 edition has 90,402 pages, and the 2022 Federal Register has 80,756 pages.
• Rules with $200 million or more of economic effects in at least one year qualify as major under Section 3(f)(1). This replaced the former economically significant tag for $100 million-plus regulations.
• However, the $100 million economically significant tag is now revived under a Trump Executive Order, and the $200 million 3(f)(1) tag is going away. We will likely see rules from both categories this year.
• There are three 3(f)1 or economically significant regulations so far in 2025, with none in the last week.
• This is on pace for seven 3(f)(1) or economically significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 20 3(f) significant regulations in 2024, 28 3(f)(1) and/or economically significant regulations in 2023, and 43 economically significant rules in 2022. Note that these are not apples-to-apples comparisons, since 3(f)(1) and economically significant rules have different thresholds.
• This year’s section 3(f)(1) and economically significant regulations have estimated costs ranging from $1.87 billion to $22.57 billion.
• For context, the cost tally for 2024’s 3(f)(1) significant regulations is net savings of $16.42 billion to 26.45 billion. 2023’s 3(f)(1) and/or economically significant regulations estimated costs range from $62.60 billion to 90.48 billion. Cost estimates for 2022’s economically significant rules range $45.28 billion to $78.05 billion. The exact numbers depend on discount rates and other assumptions.
• There were no new final regulations last week meeting the broader definition of “significant,” after none the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 58 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 141 significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 339 such regulations in 2024, 290 in 2023, and 255 in 2022.
• So far in 2025, 293 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 711. Fifteen of them are significant, on pace for 36.
• For comparison, in 2024 there were 770 regulations affecting small businesses, 76 of them significant. In 2023 there were 789 regulations affecting small businesses, 79 of them significant. In 2022 there were 912 regulations affecting small businesses, 70 of them significant.

Highlights from last week’s new final regulations:

• Crib mattress safety standards.
• A correction of a stay on clean energy requirements for renovated federal buildings.
• Expanded health care benefit eligibility for 9/11 responders in Pennsylvania.
• Recission of obsolete tobacco grading rules.
• The Colorado hookless cactus is no longer on the Endangered Species List.
• Medical device classification for inherited nucleotide repeat disorder deocyribonucleic acid test.
• Medical device classification for Zika virus serological reagents.
• Medical device classification for temporarily-placed urethral opening systems for symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
• Medical device classification for anti-Mullerian hormone test systems.
• Medical device classification for plazomicin test systems.
• The Farm Service Agency is removing obsolete regulations.
• The USDA is inflation-adjusting its civil monetary penalties.
• The Agricultural Marketing Service is ending its Dairy Donation Program.
• Implementing the Emergency Livestock Relief Program.
• The Agricultural Marketing Service is rescinding tobacco quota provisions.
• The Federal Highway Administration is removing regulations for Equal Employment Opportunity Program plans.
• The Federal Highway Administration is removing regulations for project repayments.
• The Federal Highway Administration is removing regulations for performance measurements.
• The Federal Highway Administration is removing regulations for rating and evaluating projects of national significance.
• The Federal Highway Administration is removing regulations for management and monitoring systems.
• The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is removing motor carrier routing regulations.
• The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is inflation-adjusting its civil penalties.
• The Agricultural Marketing Service is removing tobacco price control regulations.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• Extended compliance date for methylene chloride regulations.
• Reopened comment period for a critical habitat designation foe four population segments of the foothill yellow-legged frog.
• Notice of public meetings and a request for comment on modernizing pilot schools.
• Re-opened comment period for low-moisture ready-to-eat human foods.
• A referendum to create a Natural Grass Sod Research and Promotion Program failed, 221-127.
• Delayed enforcement of new energy conservation test procedures for central air conditioners and heat pumps.
• Removing obsolete geodetic marker requirement from highways.
• And recycling assistance regulations.
• And obsolete reporting requirements.
• And obsolete compressed natural gas container regulations.
• And obsolete compressed natural gas vehicle fuel system regulations.
• And obsolete fuel system integrity regulations.
• And obsolete school bus passenger seating requirements.
• And obsolete school bus emergency exit window retention regulations.
• And roof crush resistance.
• And side impact protections.
• And seat belt assembly anchorages.
• And seating systems.
• And car door locks.
• And glazing materials used in pre-2006 vehicles.
• And steering control rearward displacement.
• And some procedural regulations for federal aid to construction projects.
• And for forest highway management.
• And for the Forest Highway Program.
• And for Appalachian contracts.
• And requirements for tire load markings.
• Adding an exception for license plate lamp requirements.
• Removing some requirements for auxiliary fuel tanks smaller than five gallons.
• And for brakes on portable conveyors.
• And for references to water carriers.
• And for commercial driver license standards for certain military personnel.
• And for fuel tank overfill restrictions.
• And for driver vehicle examination report disposition.
• And for electronic vehicle inspection reports.
• And for bridges on dams.
• And the odd requirement for buses to stop at train tracks and linger, making them vulnerable.
• And for commercial drivers to self-report motor vehicle violations.
• NHTSA is changing some motorcycle helmet definitional rules.
• And liquid-burning flares.
• Removing a truck driver vision standards grandfathering provision.
• And spare fuse requirements.
• And retroreflective sheeting on semitrailers.
• And certification and labeling requirements for rear impact protection guards.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and @RegoftheDay on Twitter. See also CEI’s Agenda for Congress.