This week in ridiculous regulations: Automatic brakes and horse protection amendments

Sixty-seven people died when a military helicopter and a passenger jet collided near Reagan Airport. President Trump issued an Executive Order to stop all federal grant programs to states, then withdrew it. He threatened tariffs against Columbia over deportations, and against Canada and Mexico before starting talks on an updated USMCA. He would also like to expand Guantanamo Bay to house immigrants. Former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-Egypt) was sentenced to 11 years in prison for bribery. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from imported food inspections to erasing medical debt from credit scores.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 28 final regulations last week, after 21 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every six hours.
• With 277 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 3,463 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 11 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 30 the previous week.
• With 145 proposed regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 1,813 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 268 notices last week, after 294 notices the previous week.
• With 1,835 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 22,938 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 25,506 notices in 2024, 22,902 in 2023, and 28,932 in 2022.
• Last week, 577 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,390 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2025 contains 545 pages.
• With 8,752 pages so far, the 2025 Federal Register is on pace for 109,400 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 two 3(f)1 or economically significant regulations so far in 2025, with none in the last week.
• This is on pace for 25 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 cost an estimated $870 million.
• 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 three new final regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant” last week, after one the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 35 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 438 significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 339 such regulations in 2024, 290 in 2023, and 255 in 2022.
• So far in 2025, 61 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 763. Six of them are significant, on pace for 75.
• 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:

• A ban on including medical debt in credit scores. Unintended consequence from Econ 101: this rule will make credit more expensive for everyone, pricing out those who can least afford it. Payday lenders and loan sharks will be the beneficiaries.
• Horse protection amendments delayed.
• Four EPA regulations published between November 29, 2024, and December 31, 2024, are being delayed.
• FERC is increasing its filing fees.
• Postal Service price changes.
• Regulatory guides of power systems at nuclear power plants.
• Updated safety standards for non-full size infant cribs.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• A SNAP quality control handbook.
• Automatic emergency braking systems for light vehicles.
• Regulations for mailing nonregulated toxic materials.
• Inspection fees for imported food.
• Credit reports for multifamily housing programs.
• An FTC rule for impersonations.
• Law enforcement responses to attacks on nuclear power plants.

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