The week in regulations: Bone void filler and halibut action

May’s job numbers were strong for the third month in a row, though job growth since Liberation Day remains under 100,000, for a labor force of more than 160 million, or less than one-tenth of one percent. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from vehicle glazing equipment to ultrasound device classification.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 99 new final regulations last week.
• This is equivalent to one new final regulation every one hour and 42 minutes.
• Agencies have issued 1,213 final regulations so far in 2026.
• At this pace, agencies will issue 2,808 final regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 2,441 final regulations in 2025, 3,248 in 2024, and 3,018 in 2023.
• Agencies issued 29 new proposed regulations last week.
• With 790 proposed regulations so far in 2026, agencies are on pace to issue 1,829 proposed regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 1,498 proposed regulations in 2025, 1,769 in 2024, and 2,102 in 2023.
• Agencies issued 404 notices last week.
• With 9,036 notices so far in 2026, agencies are on pace to issue 20,917 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 19,820 notices in 2025, 25,506 in 2024, and 22,902 in 2023.
• There were 2,259 new Federal Register pages last week.
• With 34,567 pages so far, the 2026 Federal Register is on pace to reach 80,016 pages.
• For comparison, the 2025 Federal Register had 61,461 pages, and 2024 had an all-time record 107,261 pages. The 2023 edition had 90,402 pages.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2026 contains 320 pages.
• Rules with annual economic effects of $100 million or more in at least one year qualify as economically significant.
• During the Biden administration, this category was temporarily scrapped and replaced with a $200 million annual threshold for being called significant under Section 3(f)(1) of Executive Order 12866 as amended.
• A 2025 Trump executive order scrapped the $200 million 3(f)(1) threshold and revived the $100 million economically significant category. Because of the length of time the rulemaking process takes, rules under both thresholds are still appearing.
• So far in 2026, there are 14 new regulations that are either 3(f)(1) or economically significant. One such regulation appeared in the previous week.
• This pace will yield 32 new regulations in 2026 that are either 3(f)(1) or economically significant.
• For comparison, there were 17 new regulations in 2025 that were either 3(f)(1) or economically significant, 20 in 2024, and 28 in 2023. Note that these are not apples-to-apples comparisons, since 3(f)(1) and economically significant rules have different thresholds.
• Regulations that are new in 2026 and are either 3(f)(1) or economically significant are estimated to produce net annual savings between $132 billion and $907 billion.
• For context, 3(f)(1) or economically significant regulations in 2025 had estimated net annual costs of $219 million to $1.64 billion. The figures for 2024 are net annual savings of $16.42 billion to $26.45 billion. The exact numbers depend on discount rates and other assumptions.
• There were seven final regulations last week meeting the broader definition of “significant.”
• So far this year, 94 new final regulations meet the broader definition of “significant.” This pace will yield 218 significant final regulations in 2026.
• For comparison, there were 155 such regulations in 2025, 339 in 2024, and 290 in 2023.
• So far in 2026, 275 new regulations affect small businesses, making a yearly pace of 637. Thirteen of them are significant, making a yearly pace of 30.
• For comparison, in 2025 there were 597 regulations affecting small businesses, 30 of them significant. In 2024, there were 770 regulations affecting small businesses, 76 of them significant. In 2023 there were 789 regulations affecting small businesses, 106 of them significant.

Highlights from last week’s new final regulations:

• Rules for foreign ownership, control, or domination of nuclear facilities.
• A correction to the EPA rule extending the compliance deadline for the greenhouse gas reporting rule.
• Seamen’s claims.
• Bone void filler.
• Shoulder joint prostheses.
• Absorbable metallic bone fixation fastener.
• The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is rescinding its NEPA procedures.
• Regulations for private transit investment project procedures.
• Citizenship applications for the MARAD program.
• Inseason halibut action.
• New animal drugs.
• Medicaid community engagement programs.
• Vehicle glazing equipment.
• Car door locks.
• School bus passenger seating.
• Roof crush resistance.
• The Energy Department is rescinding minority business programs.
• Emission standards review for hazardous waste combustors.
• The Federal Maritime Commission is inflation-adjusting its civil monetary penalties.
• So is the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
• Crop subsidies.
• Ultrasound device classification.
• Intraoral cooling devices.
• Subsidies to chicken farmers.
• Critical habitat for the rusty patched bumblebee.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• A National Broadband Plan.
• An IRS hearing for Trump accounts.
• Shrimp fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Rescinding historic preservation requirements that block new housing supply.
• Homeland security regulations against immigrants seeking jobs.
• Respirators.
• Superfund cost recovery claims.
• Breakout tank inspections.
• Ballot mail for federal elections.
• A tax on estate tax closing letters.

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