The week in regulations: Farmer training and approving fireworks

Tuesday’s Federal Register contained 105 proposed regulations and 86 final regulations. Much of it was regulatory cleanup for railroads, pipelines, and mining. The reconciliation bill passed. ICE is set to have a bigger budget than the Marines. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from seaman’s claims to hazardous communication.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 131 final regulations last week, after 48 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every one hour and 17 minutes.
• With 1,291 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 2,562 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 124 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 23 the previous week.
• With 835 proposed regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 1,657 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 322 notices last week, after 436 notices the previous week.
• With 10,054 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 19,948 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 25,506 notices in 2024, 22,902 in 2023, and 28,973 in 2022.
• Last week, 1,951 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,340 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2025 contains 236 pages.
• With 29,715 pages so far, the 2025 Federal Register is on pace for 58,958 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 six 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 were seven new final regulations last week meeting the broader definition of “significant,” after two the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 68 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 135 significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 339 such regulations in 2024, 290 in 2023, and 255 in 2022.
• So far in 2025, 359 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 712. Seventeen of them are significant, on pace for 34.
• 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:

• The National Railroad Passenger Corporation’s FOIA policies.
• Paperwork Reduction Act policies at the EPA.
• The EPA will review its emission guidelines for solid waste incinerators.
• Shipping liquified gas by rail.
• The Air Force is removing some environmental impact analysis process regulations.
• Don’t fly over Kabul.
• The FCC is modernizing its Form 477 Data Program.
• The Labor Department is eliminating some of its notice and comment procedures.
• The Federal Railroad Administration is updating its definition of “person.” ICE and related agencies should update theirs as well.
• It is also updating its critical incident stress plan regulations.
• And its risk reduction program regulations.
• And its system safety program regulations.
• And its dispatcher’s record of train movements.
• And for railroad consolidations.
• And for rail employees qualification regulations.
• And administrative updates to grade crossing safety regulations.
• And to Part 236 regulations.
• And to end-of-train devices.
• And administrative updates to train signal control systems.
• And to reporting requirements for the same.
• And to locational requirements for railroad dispatchers.
• And to passengers equipment safety standards.
• And to bridge safety standards.
• And to passenger train emergency preparedness.
• And to state safety participation regulations.
• And to track safety standards.
• And to rules of practice.
• And repealing a redundant reporting requirement.
• And to railroad safety appliance standards regulations.
• And for rail employee alcohol and drug use.
• And for freight car safety standards.
• And to OSHA locomotive cab regulations.
• And to use of locomotive horns.
• And for rear-end marking devices.
• And for workplace safety regulations.
• And to rail employee working hours.
• And to railroad accident report classification regulations.
• And to rail car reflectorizing regulations.
• And to steam locomotive inspection and maintenance standards.
• The Federal Transit Administration is simplifying regulations for major capital investment projects.
• And for transportation for elderly and handicapped persons.
• And for school bus operations.
• And for charter service.
• And for transit asset management.
• And for safety glass standards.
• The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is updating ASTM A578/A578M standards.
• And its ASTM F2945 standards.
• And its PPI-TR 3 standards.
• And its ASTM F2817 standards.
• And its NFPA 70 standards.
• And its PPI-TR 4 standards.
• And its ASTM F2767 standards.
• And its ASTM F2600 standards.
• And its ASTM F2145 standards.
• And its ASTM A381/A381M standards.
• And its ASTM A53/A53M standards.
• And its API RP 2026 standards.
• And its API STD 620 standards.
• And its API RP 1170 and API RP 1171 standards.
• And its AP Spec 6D standards.
• And its ASTM F1973 standards.
• And technical standards and amendments.
• And MAOP reconfirmation testing regulations.
• And for innovative remote sensing technologies for right-of-way patrols on gas and hazardous liquid pipelines.
• And for property damage reporting requirements.
• And for annual report filing timelines.
• The Maritime Administration has deregulatory rule revising its agency agreements and appointment of agents.
• And for port utilization priority and allocation rules.
• The Foreign Assets Control Office is adding regulations related to Internation Criminal Court sanctions.
• The SEC is delaying a daily reserve requirement computing rule for certain financial firms.
• OSHA is revoking a rule related to the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health.
• The Labor Department is removing obsolete grant and contract regulations.
• And nondiscrimination and equal-opportunity provisions of the Workforce Investment Act.
• And other Workforce Investment Act regulations.
• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s design certifications will soon be valid for 40 years, rather than 15 years.
• Delayed compliance date for new energy conservation standards for manufactured housing.
• Emission standards for aerosol coatings.
• The Economic Development Administration is eliminating regulations on supplementary grant assistance.
• NHTSA will not enforce new standards for child restraint systems.
• FERC rules for cyber security.
• The EPA updated its National Priorities List.
• The Justice Department is inflation-adjusting its civil monetary penalties.
• The FDIC is rescinding recent changes to its bank merger policies.
• FERC is removing references to rescinded environmental regulations.
• The Interior Department is partially rescinding its NEPA regulations.
• The EPA is revising regulations from 2024 on iron and steel manufacturing facilities.
• The Energy Department is revising its NEPA procedures.
• So is the USDA.
• And the Army Department.
• And the Navy Department.
• And the Economic Development Administration.
• As are the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Federal Transit Administration in a joint rule.
• NHTSA is rescinding its 1975 procedures for considering environmental impacts.
• The Engineer Corps issued two rules for rescinding NEPA procedures.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• Removal of regulations defining canned tripe with milk.
• Foam generator systems in underground coal mines.
• Eligibility calculations for housing subsidies.
• A market study on rural housing subsidies.
• Anti-discrimination rules at the Labor Department.
• Wagner-Peyser Act rules at the Employment and Training Administration.
• Thresholds for filing LM-2, LM-3, and LM-4 labor organization annual reports.
• Respirators.
• Approving ventilation plans in mines.
• Training and retraining miners.
• Roof control plans in mines.
• Special approval requirements for freight cars more than 50 years old.
• Repealing a railroad track surface requirement.
• Removing stenciling requirements for freight cars used for tourist, historic, excursion, education, recreational, or private purposes and not interchanged.
• Removed requirements for railroad car end of car cushioning units.
• Removal of unnecessary Paperwork Reduction Act references in Federal Railroad Administration regulations.
• Changes to railroad accident reporting forms.
• Regulatory relief from locomotive horn sounding pattern at public highway-rail grade crossings.
• Procedures for private investment in transit projects.
• Withdrawal of working hour regulations for transit workers.
• Certification requirements for locomotive engineers.
• And conductors.
• Evaluating railroad bridge load capacity.
• Freight rail brake inspections.
• Locomotive wheel set diameter variations.
• Allowable use of virtual reality simulators for locomotive braker repair refresher training.
• Special conditions for pipeline permits.
• Shipping limited quantities of hazardous materials.
• Deregulatory seamen’s claims.
• Pipeline coating damage.
• Repealing outdated railroad workplace safety requirements.
• Establishing US citizenship for MARAD program participation.
• Reduced reporting requirements for rail reporting.
• And domestic carriers.
• Reduced training burdens for America’s farmers.
• Simplified fishing applications.
• Modernizing the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s payment systems.
• It is also improving its process for special permits and renewing approvals.
• And for transportation permits.
• Make that two rules for simplified transportation permits.
• It is also removing some rules that are redundant with EPA regulations.
• And simplifying paperwork for domestic carriers.
• And reducing burdens on companies trading battery-powered equipment.
• And on domestic aerosol shippers.
• Simplified approval for fireworks.
• Endangered species status for the Barren darter.
• The definition of “minor child” fir purposes of the LM-30 labor organization officer and employee report.
• Electronic surveying equipment in underground mines.
• Mining of pillars.
• Mining trolleys.
• Conveyor belts in mines.
• Diesel emissions in mines.
• Permissible flame safety lamps in mines.
• Lighting in mines.
• OSHA is removing redundant regulations for vinyl chloride.
• And allowing more types of respirators to be used to protect against methylenedianiline.
• And for methylene chloride.
• And for lead.
• And for inorganic arsenic.
• And for formaldehyde.
• And for ethylene oxide.
• And for cotton dust.
• And for coke oven emissions.
• And for cadmium.
• And for benzene.
• And for asbestos.
• And for acrylonitrile.
• And for OSHA’s 13 Carcinogens standard.
• And for OSHA’s 1,3-Butadiene standard.
• And for OSHA’s 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane standard.
• And for photometers.
• And for drilling.
• And for electrical equipment above the water table.
• And for aerial tramways.
• And for hazardous communication.
• And for blacksmith shops.
• Safety color codes for shipyard employment.
• OSHA is removing some Covid-era occupational exposure recordkeeping regulations.
• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s design certifications will soon be valid for 40 years, rather than 15 years.
• Discrimination in apprenticeship programs.
• Fair Labor Standards Act rules for domestic service employees.
• H-2A visas for agricultural workers.
• Regulatory dark matter at the Wage and Hour Division.
• Stability and fitness rules from the Personnel Management Office.

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