This week in ridiculous regulations: address labels and consumer reviews

Yet another federal shutdown crisis was averted, this time until March. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee marked up the PROVE It Act, which would lay the groundwork for a carbon tariff and a domestic carbon tax. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from fish data calibration to infant support cushions.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 45 final regulations last week, after 65 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every three hours and 44 minutes.
• With 148 final regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 2,846 final regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 3,018 new final regulations in 2023, 3,168 in 2022, and 3,257 in 2021.
• Agencies issued 23 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 27 the previous week.
• With 69 proposed regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 1,327 proposed regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 2,102 proposed regulations in 2023, 2,044 in 2022, and 2,094 in 2021.
• Agencies published 375 notices last week, after 407 notices the previous week.
• With 1,022 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 19,654 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 22,902 notices in 2023, 22,505 in 2022, and 20,018 in 2021.
• Last week, 1,620 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 857 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2024 contains 298 pages.
• With 3,875 pages so far, the 2024 Federal Register is on pace for 7,5619 pages.
• For comparison, the 2023 Federal Register totals 90,402 pages, the 2022 Federal Register has 80,756 pages, and 2021’s is 74,352 pages. The all-time record adjusted page count (subtracting skips, jumps, and blank pages) is 96,994, set in 2016.
• Rules with $200 million or more of economic effects in at least one year qualify as major under Section 3(f)(1). This replaces the former economically significant tag for $100 million-plus regulations. There are no such rules so far in 2024.
• This is on pace for zero 3(f)(1) regulations in 2024. This will change.
• For comparison, there were 28 3(f)(1) and/or economically significant regulations in 2023, 43 economically significant rules in 2022, and 26 in 2021. Note that these are not apples-to-apples comparisons, since 3(f)(1) and economically significant rules have different thresholds.
• The total estimated cost of 2024’s 3(f)(1) major regulations is zero, since none have been issued yet.
• For comparison, the cost tally for 2023’s 3(f)(1) major and economically significant regulations ranges from $62.60 billion to 90.48 billion. Cost estimates for 2022’s economically significant rules range $45.28 billion to $78.05 billion. In 2021, net costs ranged from $13.54 billion to $1992 billion. The exact numbers depend on discount rates and other assumptions.
• There were five regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant” last week, after four the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 11 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 212 significant regulations in 2024.
• For comparison, there were 290 such regulations in 2023, 255 in 2022, and 387 in 2021.
• So far in 2024, 43 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 827. Two of them are significant, on pace for 38.
• For comparison, 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. 2021’s totals were 912 regulations affecting small businesses, 101 of them significant.

Highlights from last week’s new final regulations:

• The Federal Housing Finance Agency issued a rule “to clarify that procedural requirements for corrective plans apply to prudential management and operations standards (Standards) established as regulations as well as guidelines,” and some other things that are equally opaque.
• The Small Business Administration is looking to diversify its investments.
• The IRS is updating its minimum present value requirements for defined benefit pension plans.
• The Postal Service is unveiling a new shipping address label design.
• New medical advisory requirements for commercial drivers.
• Standard ASTM F963 is now mandatory for toys.
• Careful how you use the FDIC’s logo in your advertisements.
• Venezuela sanctions.
• Russia sanctions.
• Energy conservation standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers.
• The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is inflation-adjusting its penalties for improperly labeling alcoholic beverages.
• Import restrictions for importing Bulgarian archaeological artifacts.
• Little Potato Slough safety zone.
• Repaying student loans.
• The National Endowment for the Arts is inflation-adjusting its civil penalties.
• So is the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
• So is the National Indian Gaming Commission.
• So is the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• Nondiscrimination in State Department foreign assistance.
• Nondiscrimination in acquisitions related to State Department foreign assistance.
• Shipping lane safety along the Atlantic coast.
• Energy conservation standards for fans and blowers.
• Limits for federal contractors on subcontracting revisions.
• Red snapper data calibrations.
• National Apprenticeship System enhancements.
• Safety standards for infant support cushions.
• A new FTC rule on using consumer reviews and testimonials.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and @RegoftheDay on Twitter.