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 April 18 through April 22, the Federal Register grew by 1,456 pages for a year-to-date total of 24,266 pages.
The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
This week’s Federal Register featured the following 512 documents:
- 436 notices
- Four presidential documents
- 31 proposed rules
- 41 final rules
Three proposed rules, including an addition to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch regarding acceptance of payments for legal expenses from the Government Ethics Office, and four final rules, including an amendment to regulations for implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 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 64 significant proposed rules, 76 significant final rules, and one significant notice as of April 22.
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.
Additional reading:Historical additions to the Federal Register, 1936-2019
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