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 August 15 through August 19, the Federal Register grew by 1,262 pages for a year-to-date total of 51,236 pages.
The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
This week’s Federal Register featured the following 528 documents:
- 427 notices
- Four presidential documents
- 33 proposed rules
- 64 final rules
Four proposed rules, including the 2023-2024 multifamily housing goals for the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac enterprises from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and five final rules, including the establishment of over-the-counter hearing aids from the Food and Drug 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 138 significant proposed rules, 156 significant final rules, and one significant notice as of August 19.
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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