This week in ridiculous regulations: steroids and cyber scholarships

Unemployment remained at 3.5 percent, and Donald Trump got indicted again. Meanwhile, agencies issued new regulations ranging from cooking products to squid harvests.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 73 final regulations last week, after 70 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 18 minutes.
• With 1,820 final regulations so far in 2023, agencies are on pace to issue 3,054 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 72 the previous 33week.
• With 1,264 proposed regulations so far in 2023, agencies are on pace to issue 2,121 proposed regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 2,044 new proposed regulations in 2022, and 2,094 in 2021.
• Agencies published 488 notices last week, after 413 notices the previous week.
• With 13,270 notices so far in 2023, agencies are on pace to issue 22,265 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 22,505 notices in 2022, and 20,018 in 2021.
• Last week, 2,754 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,912 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2023 contains 349 pages.
• With 52,020 pages so far, the 2023 Federal Register is on pace for 87,282 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 17 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 nine regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant” last week, after seven the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 159 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, 497 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 844. Forty of them are significant, on pace for 67.
• 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:

• Bona fide cotton spot markets.
• Prices for veterinary care from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
• The Small Business Administration is inflation-adjusting its civil penalties.
• Bathroom accessibility on single-aisle aircraft.
• New DEA rules for steroids.
• Cyber scholarships.
• Access to video conferencing.
• Pipeline valve rupture detectors.
• Revised list of migratory birds.
• A “Good Neighbor Plan” for state-level emissions rules.
• Electronic authorization for Hungarian travel.
• Bank reserve requirements under the Federal Reserve’s Regulation A.
• NASA delegations and designations.
• Classification changes for international trademarks.
• Longfin squid harvests.
• Four new Medicare payment rules.
• New procedures for the Office of the National Director of National Intelligence regarding Freedom of Information Act disclosures.
• The Engineer Corps is inflation-adjusting its civil penalties.
• Eligibility requirements for burial in a national cemetery.
• A correction to recent EPA Renewable Fuel Standard rules.
• Mandatory data collection for prisoners’ communications.
• Survival craft equipment.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• New energy conservation standards for cooking products.
• The IRS, HHS, and the Employee Benefits Administration are collaborating on new mental health parity and addiction equity rules.
• Sustainable procurement rules for military and other government purchases.
• The FCC is updating some of its national security fees.
• Confidentiality requirements for greenhouse gas reporting rules for oil and natural gas projects.
• Changes to the National Mango Board’s representation.
• Changes to Social Security payment disputes.
• Accessibility requirements for state and local government websites.
• Accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment.
• HUD rules of engagement with mortgage defaulters.
• New FTC rules for using consumer reviews and testimonials.

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