The week in regulations: Airport fees and pesticide fragrances

September’s jobs report came out after a shutdown-related delay. The FTC lost its antitrust case against Meta. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from postage pricing to non-endangered woodpeckers.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 71 final regulations last week, after 12 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 22 minutes.
• With 2,151 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 2,411 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 73 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after seven the previous week.
• With 1,340 proposed regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 1,502 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 593 notices last week, after 47 notices the previous week.
• With 16,380 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 18,363 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 25,506 notices in 2024, 22,902 in 2023, and 28,973 in 2022.
• Last week, 1,764 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 338 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2025 contains 237 pages.
• With 52,844 pages so far, the 2025 Federal Register is on pace for 59,243 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. Rules from both categories have appeared this year.
• There are 11 3(f)(1) or economically significant regulations so far in 2025, with one in the last week.
• This is on pace for 12 3(f)(1) or economically significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 20 3(f)(1) 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 net savings of $3.41 billion to net costs of $1.82 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 from $45.28 billion to $78.05 billion. The exact numbers depend on discount rates and other assumptions.
• There were six new final regulations last week meeting the broader definition of “significant,” after six the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 126 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, 534 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 573. Twenty-four of them are significant, on pace for 26.
• 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.

Highlights from last week’s new final regulations:

• User fee airports.
• The DEA is placing 4-chloromethcathinone in Schedule I.
• US Customs is automating CBP Form I-418.
• Opening up Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve.
• Pesticide fragrances.
• Housing subsidies.
• Pacific halibut quota recreational quota entity program fee collection correction.
• Grant rate regulations from the Economic Development Administration.
• The Homeland Security Department is ratifying one of its actions.
• Property purchasing regulations for the Postal Service.
• Farm subsidies.
• Federal Reserve bank capital stock.
• Information collection requests for farm subsidy recipients.
• Postage prices.
• Stricter air cargo screening.
  
  

And highlights from last week’s proposed regulations:

• Updated definition of “Waters of the United States.”
• The Transportation Department wants to withdraw Airline Passenger Rights for compensating passengers for flight delays. An unintended consequence of this was higher ticket prices.
• Voluntary agreements under the Defense Production Act from the Energy Department.
• FCC broadcast ownership policies.
• Mexican gambling establishments.
• Business practices for interstate natural gas pipelines.
• The Homeland Security Department is revising its public charge rule for refusing to admit immigrants.
• The Cherry Industry Administrative Board has recommended free market tonnage percentages and restricted percentages.
• The Fair Housing Home Loan Data System.
• The Comptroller of the Currency is rescinding certain banking guidelines.
• The Okinawa woodpecker will not be added to the Endangered Species List.
• Electronic logbooks for commercial fisheries, now that it’s 2025.
• Quality standards for adhesives and sealants.
• Shape-based labeling lists.
• Registration and fee assessments for hazardous materials.
• The Next Generation standard for over-the-air television broadcasts.
• Veterans are now exempt from copayments for whole health well-being services.
• The Fish and Wildlife Service is removing the blanket rule for newly listed threatened species.
• New regulations for designating critical habitat.

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