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 December 12 through December 16, the Federal Register grew by 1,567 pages for a year-to-date total of 77,457 pages.
The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
This week’s Federal Register featured the following 513 documents:
- 392 notices
- Three presidential documents
- 44 proposed rules
- 74 final rules
Three proposed rules, including modifications to regulations regarding medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder from the Health and Human Services Department, two final rules, including a correction to a rule regarding General Schedule Locality Pay Areas from the Personnel Management Office, and one notice, including a notification of a public hearing regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program for 2023-2025 from the Environmental Protection Agency, 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 228 significant proposed rules, 240 significant final rules, and five significant notices as of December 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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