The week in regulations: Subsistence fishing and electric borrowers

Regulators focused on cleaning up mining regulations this week, with more than 20 rules revised or rescinded. Inflation crept upward as tariff-related price increases worked their way through supply chains. National conservatives are infighting over the Jeffrey Epstein case. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from petroleum reserve acquisitions to Potato Slough safety.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 74 final regulations last week, after 30 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 16 minutes.
• With 1,417 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 2,605 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 30 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 30 the previous week.
• With 895 proposed regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 1,645 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 409 notices last week, after 434 notices the previous week.
• With 10,897 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 20,031 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 25,506 notices in 2024, 22,902 in 2023, and 28,973 in 2022.
• Last week, 1,417 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,951 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2025 contains 238 pages.
• With 34,164 pages so far, the 2025 Federal Register is on pace for 62,801 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 was one new final regulation last week meeting the broader definition of “significant,” after one the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 75 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 138 significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 339 such regulations in 2024, 290 in 2023, and 255 in 2022.
• So far in 2025, 378 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 695. Seventeen of them are significant, on pace for 31.
• 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 EPA issued air quality regulations for Connecticut, Guam, New Jersey, and Ohio.
• Administrative procedures for importing and exporting natural gas.
• The Energy Department is rescinding nondiscrimination regulations.
• Due to adverse comments, the Energy Department is delaying a new rule for presidential permits for transmitting electricity across international borders.
• Energy Department information collection.
• The Energy Department is rescinding obsolete transfer of proceedings regulations.
• Energy Department hearings regarding contractor employees.
• Due to adverse comments, the Energy Department is delaying a regulation for sex discrimination for programs receiving federal assistance.
• Rules of acquisition for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
• The Energy Department is removing obsolete financial assistance rules.
• Energy Department rules for sex discrimination is sports.
• The Energy Department is rescinding rules for loans to minority-owned contractors.
• Cable television rate regulations.
• Procedures for highway safety grants.
• Critical habitat for five Indo-Pacific coral species.
• The Commodity Credit Corporation is removing some obsolete regulations.
• Gardenia blue food coloring.
• A Little Potato Slough safety zone.
• Administrative False Claims Act rules from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
• And the Postal Service.
• The FDA is revoking food standards for 11 products not currently sold.
• The Land Management Bureau is rescinding regulations for filing requirements for assessment work.
• And for FLPMA documents.
• And for existing us and occupancy under mining laws.
• And for mineral locations within National Forests.
• And for geothermal lease incentives.
• And for competitive and non-competitive geothermal leases.
• And for leasing solid minerals other than coal and oil shale.
• And for hearing procedures.
• And for disposal of reserved minerals under the Stockraising Homestead Act.
• And for mining claim payments.
• And for operating plans for mining claims.
• And for mining claim and millsite use.
• And for mining claim payments (again).
• And for operating plans for mining claims (again).
• And for geothermal leases.
• And for geothermal lease royalty rates.
• And for geothermal operations and drilling permits.
• And for annual fees for oil shale placer mining claims.
• Revised subsistence fishing regulations from the Federal Subsistence Board.
• Transfer of subsistence fishing regulations from one part of the Code of Federal Regulations to another.
• Electric borrowers.
• The Foreign Agricultural Service is repealing some of its obsolete regulations.
  
  

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• Periodic reporting from the Postal Regulatory Commission.
• Back Pay Act-related attorney fees.
• People who do not register for the military draft may not receive political appointments.
• Telecommunications certification bodies.
• 911 reliability.
• Medicare payments.
• Marine mammal casualties from military training near Hawaii and California.
• The blue tree monitor lizard is now an endangered species.
• The EPA issued air quality regulations for California, Colorado, Connecticut, Guam, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, and Utah.
• The FDA wants to revoke 18 standards of identity for dairy products.
• And for 11 food products not currently sold.
• And for 23 foods that are currently sold.
• Two proposed rules for mental health grants in schools.
• Star ratings for hospitals.
• The FDIC is streamlining its procedures for establishing and relocating branches and offices.
• The Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve System, and the FDIC are rescinding certain Community Reinvestment Act regulations.
• Public access to federally funded research.
• Defense acquisitions.

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