Federal Register weekly update: Tops 10,000 total documents


Image of the south facade of the White House.

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, accounting for both regulatory and deregulatory actions.

From May 9 through May 13, the Federal Register grew by 2,208 pages for a year-to-date total of 29,646 pages.

The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.

This week’s Federal Register featured the following 580 documents:

  • 470 notices
  • 11 presidential documents
  • 32 proposed rules
  • 67 final rules

Two proposed rules, including changes to rules governing Carrier Automated Tariffs from the Federal Maritime Commission, and five final rules, including an amendment to the National Marine Sanctuaries program regulations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were 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 72 significant proposed rules, 91 significant final rules, and one significant notice as of May 13.

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.

Additional reading: