Federal Register weekly update: Tops 250 significant documents


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 18 through July 22, the Federal Register grew by 1,352 pages for a year-to-date total of 43,984 pages.

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

This week’s Federal Register featured the following 535 documents:

  • 445 notices
  • Five presidential documents
  • 41 proposed rules
  • 44 final rules

Seven proposed rules, including an amendment to the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards from the Housing and Urban Development Department, and five final rules, including amendments to regulations regarding the claims and appeals process for programs administered by the Veterans Health Administration from the Veterans Affairs Department 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 119 significant proposed rules, 136 significant final rules, and one significant notice as of July 22.

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:

Historical additions to the Federal Register, 1936-2019