This week in ridiculous regulations: baby bumpers and AI campaign ads

A wildfire in Hawaii killed more than 100 people. Donald Trump was indicted again. Meanwhile, agencies issued new regulations ranging from magnificent ramshorns to pasteurized orange juice.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 55 final regulations last week, after 69 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every three hours and three minutes.
• With 1,944 final regulations so far in 2023, agencies are on pace to issue 3,057 final regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 3,168 new final regulations in 2022, and 3,257 new final regulations in 2021.
• Agencies issued 53 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 39 the previous 33week.
• With 1,356 proposed regulations so far in 2023, agencies are on pace to issue 2,132 proposed regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 2,044 new proposed regulations in 2022, and 2,094 in 2021.
• Agencies published 424 notices last week, after 436 notices the previous week.
• With 14,265 notices so far in 2023, agencies are on pace to issue 22,272 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 22,505 notices in 2022, and 20,018 in 2021.
• Last week, 1,871 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 2,850 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2023 contains 357 pages.
• With 56,744 pages so far, the 2023 Federal Register is on pace for 89,220 pages.
• For comparison, the 2022 Federal Register totals 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 are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. This recently changed to $200 million. There are 10 such rules so far in 2023, none in the last week.
• This is on pace for 16 economically significant regulations in 2023.
• For comparison, there were 43 economically significant rules in 2022, and 26 in 2021. The higher threshold will likely lower this year’s number.
• The total estimated cost of 2023’s economically significant regulations so far ranges from $54.41 billion to $77.57 billion, according to numbers self-reported by agencies.
• For comparison, the running cost tally for 2022’s economically significant rules ranges from net costs of $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 four regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant” last week, after seven the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 170 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 267 significant regulations in 2023.
• For comparison, there were 255 such new regulations in 2022, and 387 in 2021.
• So far in 2023, 528 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 830. Forty-six of them are significant, on pace for 72.
• For comparison, in 2022 there were 912 rules affecting small businesses, 70 of them significant. 2021’s totals were 912 rules affecting small businesses, 101 of them significant.

Highlights from last week’s new final regulations:

• Nuclear supplies exporters group meetings.
• Fees for accessing NOAA data.
• Metonitazene is now a Schedule I controlled substance, same as heroin and cannabis.
• The magnificent ramshorn, a type of snail, is now an endangered species.
• Migratory bird hunting seasons.
• A national broadband plan.
• How to deal with chicken carcasses with avian leukosis complex.
• Three sites are being deleted from the Superfund National Priorities List.
• Inclined sleepers for infants are now banned.
• Crib bumpers are now banned.
• Access to telecommunications equipment for people with disabilities.
• Tax increase on cotton imports and, indirectly, on clothing buyers.
• The FCC is making libraries more accessible to Tribal communities.
• Recreational flounder, scup, and bass fishing.
• Air plan approval for oil and natural gas technology in Texas.
• New FAA regulations for staffing Reagan and JFK Airports.
• Nuclear non-proliferation controls on China and Macau.
• The EPA amended its Second 10-Year Plan for Coso Junction in California.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• New CAFE standards for automobiles.
• Commercial space launch competitiveness.
• Pension valuation.
• Telecommunications subsidies.
• Energy conservation tests for commercial package air conditioners and heat pumps.
• Fireproofing for transport planes.
• Logging pilot flight time.
• Endangered species status for the kangaroo rat.
• Status reviews for five potentially endangered species.
• New Federal Election Commission rules for using AI in campaign ads.
• Pasteurized orange juice.
• Great Lakes pilotage rates.
• Emission standards for coke ovens.
• Manufactured housing.
• Butterfat testing.
• Protective regulations for the Banggai cardinalfish.
• Scholarships for VA Health employees.
• Denial of Alabama’s approval under the coal combustion residuals permit program.
• Energy conservation standards for consumer boilers.
• Food distribution programs.

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