Federal Register weekly update: More than 300 significant documents 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 August 22 through August 26, the Federal Register grew by 1,424 pages for a year-to-date total of 52,660 pages.

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

This week’s Federal Register featured the following 525 documents:

  • 412 notices
  • Two presidential documents
  • 25 proposed rules
  • 86 final rules

Six proposed rules, including amendments to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations regarding VA health care professionals practicing telehealth from the Veterans Affairs Department, and eight final rules, including an amendment to the Federal Management Regulation (FMR) regarding physical security standards at federally owned and leased facilities and areas from the General Services 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 144 significant proposed rules, 164 significant final rules, and one significant notice as of August 26.

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.

Click here to find more information about weekly additions to the Federal Register in 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017: https://ballotpedia.org/Changes_to_the_Federal_Register 

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