The week in regulations: Wildfire appraisals and portable spas

President Trump and El Salvador president Nayib Bukele confirmed that they would continue to imprison people without due process. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from showerheads to stormwater.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 36 final regulations last week, after 32 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every four hours and 40 minutes.
• With 694 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 2,345 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 23 the previous week.
• With 371 proposed regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 1,253 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 297 notices the previous week.
• With 5,2611 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 18,956 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 25,506 notices in 2024, 22,902 in 2023, and 28,932 in 2022.
• Last week, 694 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 609 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2025 contains 225 pages.
• With 16,637 pages so far, the 2025 Federal Register is on pace for 56,206 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 10 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 was one new final regulation last week meeting the broader definition of “significant,” after none the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 56 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 189 significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 339 such regulations in 2024, 290 in 2023, and 255 in 2022.
• So far in 2025, 225 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 760. 14 of them are significant, on pace for 47.
• 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:

• Repeal of the definition of showerhead.
• The Treasury Department issued a regulation to eliminate unnecessary regulations.
• Reducing the size of the Board of Immigration Appeals and increasing the size of its backlog.
• The Interior Department is delaying a rule regarding reservoir project lands.
• Marine archaeological resources.
• Airplane engine operating power ratings.
• EPA rules for construction-related stormwater discharges.
• Medicare cost and payment updates.
• Justice Department rules for sensitive data.
• Fish specifications for the Northeast Skate Complex.
• Temporary loosening of some appraisal requirements related to recent Los Angeles wildfires.
• Repeal of recent highway greenhouse gas emission regulations.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• The General Services Administration is rescinding an art in architecture rule.
• It is also rescinding an updated transportation management rule.
• And removing DEI language.
• And removing a rule for alternative fuel vehicle usage during relocations.
• And revising a rule for sustainable siting.
• And removing a rule soliciting unio memberships among contractors in GSA-controlled buildings.
• IRS tax treatment of qualified commercial clean vehicles.
• Rescinding the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act.
• The Energy Department is seeking comment on energy efficiency rules for consumer products.
• New energy conservation standards will not apply to portable electric spas.
• Postal service price changes.

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