This week in ridiculous regulations: Volatile gas and the Gulf of Mexico

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, and President Trump put on some pressure to lower them. Trump also fired Democratic FTC commissioners on unclear authority, and is now referring to April 2, when his proposed reciprocal tariffs would come into effect, as a liberation day. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from horse protection to highway systems.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 60 final regulations last week, after 31 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 48 minutes.
• With 549 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 2,542 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 27 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 23 the previous week.
• With 270 proposed regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 1,250 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 669 notices last week, after 321 notices the previous week.
• With 4,102 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 18,991 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 25,506 notices in 2024, 22,902 in 2023, and 28,932 in 2022.
• Last week, 1,172 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 646 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2025 contains 250 pages.
• With 13,406 pages so far, the 2025 Federal Register is on pace for 62,065 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 two 3(f)1 or economically significant regulations so far in 2025, with none in the last week.
• This is on pace for 10 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 cost an estimated $870 million.
• 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 two the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 50 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 231 significant regulations in 2025.
• For comparison, there were 339 such regulations in 2024, 290 in 2023, and 255 in 2022.
• So far in 2025, 166 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 769. Ten of them are significant, on pace for 46.
• 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:

• The Coast Guard issued a rule changing the Gulf of Mexico’s name.
• The Justice Department is withdrawing certain ATF regulations regarding relief payments.
• Don’t fly over Libya.
• The EPA is withdrawing some coal power plant regulations.
• Gasoline volatility waiver removal.
• A delay in 2024 greenhouse gas reporting requirements.
• The names of investment companies.
• A delay in energy conservation standards for consumer gas-fired instantaneous water heaters.
• A delay in energy conservation standards for walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers.
• A delay in energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and heat pumps.
• Removal of NEPA regulations.
• Delayed horse protection amendments.
• Highway systems.
• Recordkeeping requirements from the Foreign Assets Control Office.
• Delayed user fee changes for agricultural quarantines and inspections.
• The Personnel Management Office is eliminating the Federal Executive Boards.
• Extended restrictions on archaeological artifacts from Jordan.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• Extended comment period on the grizzly bear’s Endangered Species List status.
• Coachella ozone.
• Advanced air mobility.
• Extended comment period on certain EPA emission standards.
• The Fish and Wildlife Service is reopening comment periods for three proposed regulations, and announcement a public hearing period for one more.
• HHS is revising a rule for past-due health insurance payments.
• The FTC received a petition from the American Apparel and Footwear Association.
• The Emergency Alert System.
• Marine mammal casualties due to rocky intertidal monitoring surveys.

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