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 19 through September 23, the Federal Register grew by 1,118 pages for a year-to-date total of 58,254 pages.
The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
This week’s Federal Register featured the following 551 documents:
- 432 notices
- 12 presidential documents
- 36 proposed rules
- 71 final rules
Four proposed rules, including adoption of the Federal Policy for Protection of Human Subjects to outline ethical principles for research involving human subjects from the Corporation for National and Community Service, and five final rules, including corrections to the National Bridge Inspection Standards Program from the Federal Highway 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 166 significant proposed rules, 184 significant final rules, and one significant notice as of September 23.
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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