Federal Register weekly update: Six significant documents added


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 July 4 through July 8, the Federal Register grew by 1,292 pages for a year-to-date total of 41,024 pages.

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

This week’s Federal Register featured the following 413 documents:

  • 342 notices
  • One presidential document
  • 23 proposed rules
  • 47 final rules

Five proposed rules, including an amendment to energy conservation standards for consumer furnaces from the Energy Department, and one final rule, including changes to the regulations for special financial assistance pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 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 104 significant proposed rules, 128 significant final rules, and one significant notice as of July 8.

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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