The week in regulations: Nuclear fees and unintentional otter injuries

The possible war with Iran did not escalate. The reconciliation bill debate continued, as did presidential pressure on the Federal Reserve to lower rates. U.S. Steel is essentially nationalized. A democratic socialist won a primary election for New York City mayor. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from satellite spectrum to fining immigrants.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 48 final regulations last week, after 43 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every three hours and 30 minutes.
• With 1,160 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 2,377 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 23 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 47 the previous week.
• With 711 proposed regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 1,457 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 436 notices last week, after 433 notices the previous week.
• With 9,747 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 19,895 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 25,506 notices in 2024, 22,902 in 2023, and 28,973 in 2022.
• Last week, 1,340 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,219 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2025 contains 228 pages.
• With 27,759 pages so far, the 2025 Federal Register is on pace for 56,883 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 two new final regulations last week meeting the broader definition of “significant,” after one the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 66 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, 350 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 717. Seventeen of them are significant, on pace for 35.
• 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:

• Drawbridge schedules in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
• Plans for operating the Railroad Retirement Board during a national emergency.
• Transporting liquified natural gas by rail.
• Probationary periods for federal workers.
• Nuclear fee recovery.
• Triggerfish management measures.
• Education Department data collection.
• More Education Department data collection.
• Affordable Care Act insurance rules.
• Publishing a list of states with and without meat or poultry inspection programs.
• The Education Department’s Innovative Rehabilitation Training Program.
• ICE issued new rules for imposing and collecting civil penalties for immigration-related violations. Its agents will continue to wear masks and civilian clothing.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• Unintentional otter casualties from Coast Guard operations.
• FCC rules for foreign ownership of broadcast licenses.
• FERC is lifting some anti-construction regulations.
• FERC might also revise its price controls for construction projects.
• Atlantic herring fishery specifications.
• Classifying seven benzimidazole-opioid substances as Schedule I controlled substances.
• Medical device classification for muscular dystrophy newborn screening tests.
• Medical device classification for herpes simplex virus acid-based assay for central nervous system infections.
• Medical device classification for fluorescence in situ hybridization-based detection of chromosomal abnormalities from patients with hematologic malignancies.
• Medical device classification for x-ray attenuation cream.
• Medical device classification for lysosomal storage disorder newborn screening test systems.
• Polar bear casualties.
• Satellite spectrum abundance.

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