This week in ridiculous regulations: Helicopter hoists and migrant children

President Trump announced new auto tariffs that will take effect next week, raising the price of average-priced new cars from $3,000 to $10,000. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from dogfish specifications to salmon rebuilding plans.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 33 final regulations last week, after 60 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every five hours and five minutes.
• With 582 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 2,466 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 24 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 27 the previous week.
• With 294 proposed regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 1,246 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 426 notices last week, after 669 notices the previous week.
• With 4,528 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 19,186 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 25,506 notices in 2024, 22,902 in 2023, and 28,932 in 2022.
• Last week, 784 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,172 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2025 contains 241 pages.
• With 14,193 pages so far, the 2025 Federal Register is on pace for 60,140 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 three 3(f)1 or economically significant regulations so far in 2025, with one in the last week.
• This is on pace for 13 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 have estimated costs ranging from $1.87 billion to $22.57 billion.
• 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 three the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 53 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 225 significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 339 such regulations in 2024, 290 in 2023, and 255 in 2022.
• So far in 2025, 181 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 767. Thirteen of them are significant, on pace for 55.
• 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:

• Federal rules of acquisition.
• Stationary activity centers.
• Beneficial ownership information reporting requirements from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
• Antelope Valley air quality.
• Import restrictions on Ecuadorean archaeological artifacts.
• Uses of nonprescription drugs.
• Unaccompanied immigrant children.
• The DEA and HHS are collaborating to make it more difficult for pain patients to receive treatment.
• Court-ordered payment calculations.
• Robocalls.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• Rebuilding salmon plans.
• Spiny dogfish specifications.
• Helicopter hoists.
• The EPA is reopening a comment period on combustion engine and turbine regulations.
• IRS rules for tax treatment of certain corporate losses. This may become more relevant as the Trump tariffs phase in.
• The Engineers Corps and the EPA responded to the Supreme Court about Waters of the United States regulations.
• Broadcast station rule updates.

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