This week in ridiculous regulations: dishwashers and shore leave

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates again, and GDP grew at a healthy 2.4 percent annualized rate. Meanwhile, agencies issued new regulations ranging from credit union bylaws to butterfish management.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 70 final regulations last week, after 69 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 12 minutes.
• With 1,747 final regulations so far in 2023, agencies are on pace to issue 3,033 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 72 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 42 the previous week.
• With 1,231 proposed regulations so far in 2023, agencies are on pace to issue 2,137 proposed regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 2,044 new proposed regulations in 2022, and 2,094 in 2021.
• Agencies published 413 notices last week, after 429 notices the previous week.
• With 12,782 notices so far in 2023, agencies are on pace to issue 22,191 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 22,505 notices in 2022, and 20,018 in 2021.
• Last week, 1,912 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 2,019 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2023 contains 342 pages.
• With 49,265 pages so far, the 2023 Federal Register is on pace for 85,530 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 18 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 seven regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant” last week, after six the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 150 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 260 significant regulations in 2023.
• For comparison, there were 255 such new regulations in 2022, and 387 in 2021.
• So far in 2023, 475 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 825. Thirty-eight of them are significant, on pace for 66.
• 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:

• New energy conservation tests for dishwashers.
• Energy conservation tests for dehumidifiers.
• The DEA finalized another rule to limit pain patients’ access to relief.
• Copyright counterclaims.
• Squid and butterfish management.
• New FTC rules for endorsements and testimonials in ads.
• Data collection in the states for education.
• Federal credit union bylaws.
• COVID-related tax credits.
• New procedures for nuclear power plant permit applications.
• Programmable digital devices in nuclear power plant safety equipment.
• Don’t fly over Kabul, Afghanistan.
• Asbestos recordkeeping requirements.
• Federal preemption of certain student loans.
• Emissions reporting in Wisconsin.
• Moving vessels for Seattle’s Seafair Fleet Week.
• Revision of the LM-10 employer report.
• Shore leave for professional mariners.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• Small business size thresholds adjusted for inflation.
• New rules for doing business over the telephone.
• Wind-down plans for derivatives.
• Energy conservation standards for residential water heaters.
• Carbon tetrachloride regulations.
• New standards for all-terrain vehicles.
• Child care in Tribal Nations.
• Promotion, research, and information for paper and paper-based packaging.
• Crystalline silica exposure for miners.
• Threatened species designation for the green floater.
• Two species will not be added to the Endangered Species List.
• Milk prices in the northeast.
• Copper smelting emissions.
• Critical habitat designation for Rice’s whale.
• Fluid mineral leases.
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For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and @RegoftheDay on Twitter.