Federal Register weekly update: 575 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 September 12 through September 16, the Federal Register grew by 1,454 pages for a year-to-date total of 57,136 pages.

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

This week’s Federal Register featured the following 575 documents:

  • 474 notices
  • 11 presidential documents
  • 40 proposed rules
  • 50 final rules

Eight proposed rules, including exemption of certain records maintained by the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) from the requirements of the Privacy Act from the Health and Human Services Department, and four final rules, including annual summary reporting requirements for investigational drugs under the Right to Try Act 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 162 significant proposed rules, 179 significant final rules, and one significant notice as of September 16.

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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