This week in ridiculous regulations: Blood donors and paper marketing

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Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. The Republicans held their convention in Milwaukee. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) was convicted on bribery charges and resigned, leaving Egypt and Syria without Senate representation. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from car seats to nuclear floods.

On to the data:

• Agencies issued 57 final regulations last week, after 49 the previous week.
• That's the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 57 minutes.
• With 1,711 final regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 3,077 final regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 3,018 new final regulations in 2023, 3,168 in 2022, and 3,257 in 2021.
• Agencies issued 47 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 24 the previous week.
• With 974 proposed regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 1,752 proposed regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 2,102 proposed regulations in 2023, 2,044 in 2022, and 2,094 in 2021.
• Agencies published 509 notices last week, after 472 notices the previous week.
• With 13,006 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 23,392 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 22,902 notices in 2023, 22,505 in 2022, and 20,018 in 2021.
• Last week, 1,615 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,553 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2024 contains 424 pages.
• With 58,954 pages so far, the 2024 Federal Register is on pace for 106,032 pages.
• For comparison, the 2023 Federal Register totals 90,402 pages, the 2022 Federal Register has 80,756 pages, and 2021's is 74,352 pages. The all-time record adjusted page count (subtracting skips, jumps, and blank pages) is 96,994, set in 2016.
• Rules with $200 million or more of economic effects in at least one year qualify as major under Section 3(f)(1). This replaces the former economically significant tag for $100 million-plus regulations. There are 13 such rules so far in 2024, with none in the last week.
• This is on pace for 23 3(f)(1) regulations in 2024.
• For comparison, there were 28 3(f)(1) and/or economically significant regulations in 2023, 43 economically significant rules in 2022, and 26 in 2021. Note that these are not apples-to-apples comparisons, since 3(f)(1) and economically significant rules have different thresholds.
• The total estimated cost of 2024's 3(f)(1) major regulations ranges from net savings of $17.82 billion to net savings of $22.87 billion, per the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
• For comparison, the cost tally for 2023's 3(f)(1) major and economically significant regulations ranges from $62.60 billion to 90.48 billion. Cost estimates for 2022's economically significant rules range $45.28 billion to $78.05 billion. In 2021, net costs ranged from $13.54 billion to $1992 billion. The exact numbers depend on discount rates and other assumptions.
• There were two new final regulations meeting the broader definition of "significant" last week, after two the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 209 new regulations meeting the broader definition of "significant." This is on pace for 376 significant regulations in 2024.
• For comparison, there were 290 such regulations in 2023, 255 in 2022, and 387 in 2021.
• So far in 2024, 420 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 755. Forty-six of them are significant, on pace for 83.
• For comparison, in 2023 there were 789 regulations affecting small businesses, 79 of them significant. In 2022 there were 912 regulations affecting small businesses, 70 of them significant. 2021's totals were 912 regulations affecting small businesses, 101 of them significant.

Highlights from last week's new final regulations:

• Membership adjustments to the Softwood Lumber Board.
• Protecting airplanes from fires on the ground.
• Export Administration Regulations.
• Russia sanctions.
• Education Department R&D infrastructure grants.
• Triangular reorganization guidance.
• Guidance for blood donors.
• Fish habitat amendments.
• IRS rules for minimum distributions from annuities, custodial accounts, retirements accounts, other financial plans.
• A Coast Guard security zone in Lake Michigan near the Republican National Convention.
• Compensation claims for energy worker illnesses.
• Sponsorship identification requirements for foreign government-provided.
• Lime manufacturing plant emissions.

And from last week's proposed regulations:

• Fish aggregating device design.
• Changes to the cherry Industry Administrative Board.
• The FCC is extending jurisdictional separations to its Federal-State Joint Board referrals.
• Military regulations for foreigners' US real estate purchases.
• IRS minimum distribution required requirements for certain accounts.
• Revisions to infant bath seat standards.
• A hearing on a proposed excise tax on repurchasing corporate stock.
• Nitrogen oxide emissions control requirements.
• Nuclear inspection codes.
• State housing agency assistance program contract terminology.
• Revised critical habitat for the Sonora chub.
• Car seating systems.
• Military subsidies to entertainment productions.
• Nuclear floods.
• The Paper and Paper-Based Packaging Promotion, Research, and Information Order.
• Changes to Federal Milk Marketing Orders.
• Dynamic line ratings for power lines.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and @RegoftheDay on Twitter.