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 February 13 through February 17, the Federal Register grew by 1,358 pages for a year-to-date total of 10,462 pages.
The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
This week’s Federal Register featured the following 530 documents:
- 435 notices
- Two presidential documents
- 36 proposed rules
- 57 final rules
Eight proposed rules, including proposed amendments to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (NFS) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; two final rules, including revised regulations to implement sections of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 from the Housing and Urban Development Department; and one notice, including an extension of the comment period for guidance regarding greenhouse gas and climate change effects from the Council on Environmental Quality 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 49 significant proposed rules, 27 significant final rules, and three significant notices as of February 17.
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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