Federal Register weekly update: More than 100 significant final rules issued so far in 2022


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 23 through May 27, the Federal Register grew by 1,196 pages for a year-to-date total of 32,288 pages.

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

This week’s Federal Register featured the following 560 documents:

  • 449 notices
  • Five presidential documents
  • 40 proposed rules
  • 66 final rules

Four proposed rules, including an extension to the comment period on a proposed rule to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and seven final rules, including maintenance technician training regulations to conform with the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act from the Federal Aviation 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 81 significant proposed rules, 101 significant final rules, and one significant notice as of May 27.

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.

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