The week in regulations: Postage prices and outdoor burning

Former President Joe Biden announced a cancer diagnosis. The House passed a big spending bill. A political activist murdered a young Jewish couple. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from nuclear waste licenses to animal feed.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 53 final regulations last week, after 59 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every three hours and 10 minutes.
• With 906 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 2,288 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 31 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 61 the previous week.
• With 527 proposed regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 1,331 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 455 notices last week, after 444 notices the previous week.
• With 7,733 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 19,528 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 25,506 notices in 2024, 22,902 in 2023, and 28,932 in 2022.
• Last week, 981 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,130 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2025 contains 224 pages.
• With 22,198 pages so far, the 2025 Federal Register is on pace for 56,056 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 eight 3(f)(1) or economically significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 20 3(f) 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 $45.28 billion to $78.05 billion. The exact numbers depend on discount rates and other assumptions.
• There were no new final regulations last week meeting the broader definition of “significant,” after none the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 58 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 146 significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 339 such regulations in 2024, 290 in 2023, and 255 in 2022.
• So far in 2025, 279 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 706. Fifteen of them are significant, on pace for 38.
• 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:

• Regulatory fees from the Delaware River Basin Commission.
• Extended deviation for a drawbridge schedule in Stuart, Florida.
• Selenium additives in animal feed.
• EPA requirements for project emissions accounting in Texas.
• A Congressional Review Act resolution repeals an EPA rule for waste emissions charges for petroleum and natural gas systems.
• Licensing requirements for storing nuclear waste.
• The Energy Department is delaying new energy conservation tests for central air conditioners and heat pumps.
• New energy conservation standards for refrigerators overturned via the Congressional Review Act.
• Ditto for consumer gas-fired instantaneous water heaters.
• And for walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers.
• The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued an editorial change to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
• Postal Service price changes.
• Parole rules for federal prisoners.
• The Personnel Management Office is inflation-adjusting its civil penalties.
• The TSA is changing its gender terminology to reflect conservative animus against transgender people.
• The CFPB rescinded state notification rules.
• Rescinded regulations for tobacco grading and designated tobacco markets.
• International mail manual.
• Domestic mail manual.
• FM terrestrial digital audio broadcasting systems.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• The Arizona Underground Injection Control Program.
• Funding for arts projects.
• Updated Medicare payments for skilled nursing facilities.
• Updated Medicare payments for hospice care.
• Endangered species status proposed for the Fish Lake Valley tui chub.
• Education grants.
• Extended comment period until June 7 for a rule intended to improve performance, accountability, and responsiveness in the civil service.
• Outdoor burning in Oregon.

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