The week in regulations: CAFE standards and Christmas tree promotions

Israel launched a military strike against Iran. US Senator Alex Padilla was detained for trying to ask a question at a Department of Homeland Security press conference. President Trump kept China tariffs at 55 percent after striking an agreement with Xi Jinping. He also spent $45 million in taxpayer funds on a military parade for his birthday that damaged local roads and disrupted commutes. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from livestock relief to mobile radio spectrum.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 48 final regulations last week, after 65 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every three hours and 30 minutes.
• With 1,069 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 2,365 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 29 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 31 the previous week.
• With 641 proposed regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 1,418 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 404 notices last week, after 405 notices the previous week.
• With 8,878 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 19,642 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 25,506 notices in 2024, 22,902 in 2023, and 28,932 in 2022.
• Last week, 919 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 932 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2025 contains 222 pages.
• With 25,121 pages so far, the 2025 Federal Register is on pace for 55,577 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)(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 $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 from $45.28 billion to $78.05 billion. The exact numbers depend on discount rates and other assumptions.
• There was one new final regulation last week meeting the broader definition of “significant,” after four the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 63 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 139 significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 339 such regulations in 2024, 290 in 2023, and 255 in 2022.
• So far in 2025, 327 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 723. Fifteen of them are significant, on pace for 33.
• 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:

• Resetting CAFE standards.
• EPA reporting rules under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
• Homeland Security Department rules for protecting federal property.
• Removing obsolete regulations for summer food benefits programs for children.
• The EPA is streamlining fuel quality regulations.
• Removing Veterans Affairs reporting requirements for the National Practitioner Data Bank.
• Handling spearmint oil.
• HUD is inflation-adjusting its civil penalties.
• The FCC is making some spectrum available for mobile radio service.
• The Emergency Livestock Relief Program.
• Airworthiness directives for pilot and co-pilot seats in certain Ipeco aircraft.
• EPA significant new use rules for certain chemical substances.
• Medical device classification for radiological computer-assisted detection and diagnosis software.
• Medical device classification for clinical mass spectrometry microorganism identification and differentiation systems.
• Medical device classification for cellular analysis systems for multiplexed antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
• Medical device classification for detectors of fungal nucleic acids directly in respiratory specimens.
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And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• Defining foreign private issuers.
• Periodic Postal Regulatory Commission reporting.
• Pesticide tolerance review for hydrogen cyanide.
• The DEA is classifying 3-methoxyphencyclidine as a Schedule I controlled substance.
• Along with three fentanyl-related substances.
• Updates to the Popcorn Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order.
• The cannulate cave isopod and the Dry Fork Valley cave beetle will not be added to the Endangered Species List.
• Reclassification for in situ hybridization test systems for use with corresponding approved oncology therapeutic products.
• Delaware vehicle maintenance program certification.
• Submarine cable landing license fees.
• Rules of acquisition for certain multiple-award contracts.
• Rules of acquisition for small business participation in certain multiple-award contracts.
• Rules of acquisition for small business innovation research and technology transfer programs.
• The FCC wants comment on opening up some spectrum for mobile radio service.
• Comment period open until July 14 on proposed changes to the Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order.

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