This week in ridiculous regulations: electric programs and EV powertrains

The midnight rush to beat the 60-legislative-day deadline for possible Congressional Review Act repeals appears to be slowing down, but Federal Register activity is still more brisk than usual. Iran’s president died in a helicopter crash. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from spearmint oil to marijuana rescheduling.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 59 final regulations last week, after 72 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 51 minutes.
• With 1,261 final regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 3,091 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 31 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 45 the previous week.
• With 740 proposed regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 1,814 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 508 notices last week, after 518 notices the previous week.
• With 9,376 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 22,980 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 22,902 notices in 2023, 22,505 in 2022, and 20,018 in 2021.
• Last week, 2,280 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 2,443 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2024 contains 449 pages.
• With 45,748 pages so far, the 2024 Federal Register is on pace for 112,127 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 13 such rules so far in 2024, with none in the last week.
• This is on pace for 32 3(f)(1) regulations in 2024.
• 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 ranges from net savings of $17.82 billion to net savings of $22.87 billion, per the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
• 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 two new final regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant” last week, after seven the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 164 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 402 significant regulations in 2024.
• For comparison, there were 290 such regulations in 2023, 255 in 2022, and 387 in 2021.
• So far in 2024, 300 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 735. Thirty-one of them are significant, on pace for 76.
• 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 exclusion process for Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs.
• Certifying railroad dispatchers.
• Certifying railroad signal employees.
• Salmon fishery specifications.
• The Energy Department passed a rule for Social Security number fraud.
• Endangered species status for the dunes sagebrush lizard.
• Energy conservation tests for air-cooled, evaporatively-cooled, and water-cooled commercial package air conditioners and heat pumps.
• Energy conservation standards for air-cooled commercial package air conditioners and heat pumps.
• Energy conservation standards for circulator pumps.
• Specifications emergency measures for the spiny dogfish.
• Marine mammal casualties related to wind farms.
• Spearmint oil handling. This is the 97th spearmint oil handling regulation passed since 1994.
• Tax increase on onions grown in certain parts of Idaho and Oregon.
• The Defense Department is removing some of its COVID regulations.
• Railroad subsidies.
• Fishing for tuna with harpoons.
• Drinking water.
• The Electric Program.
• Health care for World War II veterans.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• The DEA is reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III controlled substance. It is no longer in the same category as heroin.
• Energy conservation standards for air-cooled commercial package air conditioners and heat pumps.
• Safety standards for electric vehicle powertrains.
• Possible threatened or endangered species status for Gulf of Alaska chinook salmon.
• Health benefits for Postal Service employees.
• The National Credit Union Administration might eliminate some old rules.
• Work requirements for SNAP recipients.
• Periodic Postal Regulatory Commission reports.
• Rescheduling marijuana.
• Energy conservation standards for air-cooled commercial package air conditioners and heat pumps.

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