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 20 through February 24, the Federal Register grew by 1,670 pages for a year-to-date total of 12,132 pages.
The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
This week’s Federal Register featured the following 428 documents:
- 334 notices
- Three presidential documents
- 52 proposed rules
- 39 final rules
Eight proposed rules, including an extension of the comment period for proposed energy conservation standards for distribution transformers from the Energy Department, and 11 final rules, including the development of an airport safety management system for certain airports from the Federal Aviation 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 57 significant proposed rules, 38 significant final rules, and three significant notices as of February 24.
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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