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 November 22 through November 26, the Federal Register grew by 2,126 pages for a year-to-date total of 67,648 pages.
The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
This week’s Federal Register featured the following 510 documents:
- 399 notices
- Five presidential documents
- 47 proposed rules
- 59 final rules
Five proposed rules, including one to address criminal fraud affecting Medicare Income Related Monthly Adjusted Amounts (IRMAA) from the Social Security Administration, and four final rules, including an increase to the minimum wage for federal contractors from the Labor 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 has issued 101 significant proposed rules, 127 significant final rules, and four significant notices as of November 26.
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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