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 May 29, 2023, through June 2, 2023, the Federal Register grew by 2,026 pages for a year-to-date total of 36,436 pages.
The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
This week’s Federal Register featured the following 443 documents:
- 355 notices
- Four presidential documents
- 31 proposed rules
- 53 final rules
Six proposed rules, including proposed regulations for the certification of dispatchers and signal employees from the Federal Railroad Administration, and five final rules, including the adoption of amended energy conservation standards for consumer pool heaters from the Energy Department 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 in 2023 has issued 164 significant proposed rules, 104 significant final rules, and five significant notices as of June 2.
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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