The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory activity.
From Feb. 1 through Feb. 5—the third week of the Biden administration—the Federal Register grew by 922 pages for a year-to-date total of 8,536 pages. During the same period of the Trump administration in 2017, the Federal Register grew by 1,098 pages for a year-to-date total of 10,440 pages.
The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
This week’s Federal Register featured the following 478 documents:
- 392 notices
- 10 presidential documents
- 23 proposed rules
- 53 final rules
The Biden administration more than doubled its final rule publication this week. The administration published 23 final rules last week and 10 final rules in its first week.
One proposed rule concerning critical habitat designations for the ringed seal and bearded seal was deemed significant under E.O. 12866—defined by the potential to have large impacts on the economy, environment, public health, or state or local governments. Significant actions may also conflict with presidential priorities or other agency rules. The Biden administration has issued two significant proposed rules as of Feb. 5.
Ballotpedia maintains page counts and other information about the Federal Register as part of its Administrative State Project. The project is a neutral, nonpartisan encyclopedic resource that defines and analyzes the administrative state, including its philosophical origins, legal and judicial precedents, and scholarly examinations of its consequences. The project also monitors and reports on measures of federal government activity.
Click here to find more information about weekly additions to the Federal Register in 2019, 2018, and 2017: Changes to the Federal Register
Click here to find yearly information about additions to the Federal Register from 1936 to 2018: Historical additions to the Federal Register, 1936-2018