This Week in Ridiculous Regulations

It was another volatile pre-election week. A still-symptomatic President Trump returned to the White House from Walter Reed hospital during prime time. More key staffers tested positive for COVID-19. In the vice-presidential debate, a fly that landed in Vice President Pence’s hair stole the show. Meanwhile, regulatory agencies issued new regulations ranging from auxiliary poultry provisions to water cannons.

On to the data:

• Last week, 91 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 73 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every one hour and 51 minutes.
• Federal agencies have issued 2,561 final regulations in 2020. At that pace, there will be 3,250 new final regulations. Last year’s total was 2,964 regulations.
• There were 40 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, for a total of 1,703 on the year. At that pace, there will be 2,161 new proposed regulations in 2020. Last year’s total was 2,146 proposed regulations.
• Last week, agencies published 465 notices, for a total of 17,443 in 2020. At that pace, there will be 22,136 new notices this year. Last year’s total was 21,804.
• Last week, 1,834 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,855 pages the previous week.
• The 2020 Federal Register totals 64,374 pages. It is on pace for 81,693 pages. The 2019 total was 70,938 pages. The all-time record adjusted page count (which subtracts skips, jumps, and blank pages) is 96,994, set in 2016.
• Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Four such rules have been published this year. Four such rules were published in 2019.
• The running cost tally for 2020’s economically significant regulations ranges from net savings of between $1.19 billion and $4.19 billion. 2019’s total ranges from net savings of $350 million to $650 million, mostly from estimated savings on federal spending. The exact number depends on discount rates and other assumptions.
• Agencies have published 58 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” so far this year. 2019’s total was 66 significant final rules.
• So far in 2020, 510 new rules affect small businesses; 21 of them are classified as significant. 2019’s totals were 501 rules affecting small businesses, with 22 of them significant.

Highlights from last week’s new regulations:

• Changes to H-1B visas for highly skilled immigrant workers.
• New wage controls for other immigrants.
• The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is loosening some #NeverNeeded rules for becoming an accredited investor and changing its definition.
• New procedures for appeals to the Small Business Administration.
• Leverage ratios at community banks.
• The Internal Revenue Service is changing how it treats meal and entertainment expenses.
• Restrictions on importing archaeological artifacts from Chile.
• The Federal Communications Commission is lifting some barriers against broadband deployment.
• Territorial longline bigeye tuna.
• Egg research and promotion.
• Auxiliary provisions to the National Poultry Improvement Plan.
• Assessments on cotton imports.
• New controls on emerging technologies.
• Fees for telemarketers.
• Guidance document reform from the Education Department.
• Reporting requirements for Farm Credit banks.
• Rulemaking and guidance procedures from the Education Department.
• Insider threat reporting for financial privacy.
• The SEC is updating some disclosure requirements under its regulation S-K.
• Rules and regulations for the federal government’s Cotton Board.
• A certain population segment of the Pacific marten is now a threatened species.
• The eastern black rail is now a threatened species.
• Safety standards for rails.
• New regulations under the Textile Fiber Products identification Act.
• Income tax withholding.
• Rules for exporting water cannons.
• Telemarketing sales rules fees.

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