This week in ridiculous regulations: Pear handling and airport construction
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CEI founder Fred Smith passed away at age 83. Few people were as effective as Fred in pushing back against regulatory excesses, and nobody did it with such good cheer. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from weather stations to pedestrians’ heads.
On to the data:
• Agencies issued 66 final regulations last week, after 41 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 33 minutes.
• With 2,801 final regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 3,098 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 27 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 19 the previous week.
• With 1,569 proposed regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 1,736 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 614 notices last week, after 588 notices the previous week.
• With 22,363 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 24,603 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 22,902 notices in 2023, 22,505 in 2022, and 20,738 in 2021.
• Last week, 2,238 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,673 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2024 contains 411pages.
• With 92,785 pages so far, the 2024 Federal Register is on pace for 102,638 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 18 such rules so far in 2024, with one in the last week.
• This is on pace for 20 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 $16.70 billion to net savings of $26.29 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 $19.92 billion. The exact numbers depend on discount rates and other assumptions.
• There were five new final regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant” last week, after five the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 289 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 320significant regulations in 2024.
• For comparison, there were 290 such regulations in 2023, 255 in 2022, and 387 in 2021.
• So far in 2024, 676 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 748. Sixty-four of them are significant, on pace for 71.
• 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 Fresh Pear Committee has made it easier for itself to pass new pear handling regulations.
• Nitrogen oxide emissions control requirements.
• Therapeutic oxygen requirements for Gulfstream planes.
• Underground storage tanks in North Carolina.
• Powered-lift pilot certification.
• Revised soft infant and toddler carriers.
• Credit extension rules for Federal Reserve Banks.
• A second rule for bank reserve requirements.
• An Iran-related determination.
• Registered investment adviser compliance reviews.
• DEA rules for telemedicine prescriptions.
• Space-related export controls.
• Representation on the United Soybean Board.
• Updates to the FAA’s health care rules.
• Employment and training monitoring for SNAP recipients.
• CFPB regulations for personal financial data.
• Trademark fees for fiscal year 2025.
• EPA rules for petroleum and natural gas emissions.
• Heating and cooling bills for SNAP recipients.
And from last week’s proposed regulations:
• Salmonella framework for raw poultry products.
• Inclusive technology for nuclear reactors.
• Threatened species status and critical habitat for the Pecos pupfish.
• Equal opportunity recordkeeping.
• Freight shipper financial responsibility.
• Listing the giraffe as either a threatened or endangered species.
• Neck float safety standards, though unrelated to the giraffe rule above.
• Loan guarantees for veterans.
• Property broker transactions.
• Revised space export controls.
• International arms trafficking.
• Wages for workers on H-2B visas.
For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and @RegoftheDay on Twitter.
