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 July 25 through July 29, the Federal Register grew by 2,898 pages for a year-to-date total of 46,882 pages.
The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
This week’s Federal Register featured the following 584 documents:
- 488 notices
- Six presidential documents
- 48 proposed rules
- 42 final rules
Seven proposed rules, including regulations to establish minimum size requirements for train crews from the Federal Railroad Administration, and six final rules, including improvements to the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model (GEM) for heavy-duty vehicles 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 126 significant proposed rules, 142 significant final rules, and one significant notice as of July 29.
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.
Click here to find more information about weekly additions to the Federal Register in 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017: Changes to the Federal Register
Additional reading:
Click here to find yearly information about additions to the Federal Register from 1936 to 2019: Historical additions to the Federal Register, 1936-2019