This week in ridiculous regulations: Robocalls and toddler carriers

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Culture warriors falsely accused immigrants of eating people's pets. Donald Trump discussed the issue in his presidential debate with Kamala Harris. The final CPI reading before the Federal Reserve's September 18 interest rate decision came in at 2.5 percent. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from water beads to raising animals.

On to the data:

• Agencies issued 55 final regulations last week, after 47 the previous week.
• That's the equivalent of a new regulation every three hours and three minutes.
• With 2,260 final regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 3,100 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 28 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 32 the previous week.
• With 1,268 proposed regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 1,781 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 628 notices last week, after 458 notices the previous week.
• With 16,948 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 23,803 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 22,902 notices in 2023, 22,505 in 2022, and 20,018 in 2021.
• Last week, 2,207 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,804 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2024 contains 424 pages.
• With 75,443 pages so far, the 2024 Federal Register is on pace for 105,958 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 14 such rules so far in 2024, with none in the last week.
• This is on pace for 20 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 $17.58 billion to net savings of $22.18 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 three new final regulations meeting the broader definition of "significant" last week, after two the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 243 new regulations meeting the broader definition of "significant." This is on pace for 341 significant regulations in 2024.
• For comparison, there were 290 such regulations in 2023, 255 in 2022, and 387 in 2021.
• So far in 2024, 529 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 743. Fifty-three of them are significant, on pace for 74.
• 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:

• Post-employment conflicts if interest for senior government employees.
• Emissions standards for polymer and resin manufacturing.
• The Small Business Administration is raising its small business size standards so more businesses qualify for its subsidy programs.
• Medical device classification for whole exome sequencing constituent devices.
• Medical device classification for cell-free nucleic acid blood collectors.
• Medical device classification for endoscopic pancreatic debridement devices.
• Expanded eligibility for medical treatment for 9/11 first responders.
• Executive branch review of media company ownership.
• The EPA is removing hydrofluorocarbon phasedown regulations under court order.
• Import restrictions on Yemeni archaeological artifacts.
• Import restrictions on Ukrainian archaeological artifacts.
• Security incident notification requirements for nuclear power plants.
• Technical corrections for 13 endangered species.
• Substantiating animal-raising claims.
• FOIA fees from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
• Venezuela sanctions.
• Organization and procedures at the Merit Systems Protection Board.
• Warnings on cigarette packages.

And from last week's proposed regulations:

• The corporate alternative minimum tax.
• Written exemptions for California grape growers from a proposed amendment of Marketing Order No. 989.
• The TSA is slowing down REAL ID implementation.
• Excess emissions in Forsyth County, North Carolina.
• Implementing the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act.
• Disability ratings for ear, nose, throat, and hearing disabilities in veterans.
• The Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy.
• Robocalls.
• Make that two robocall rules.
• Reporting requirements for AI models and computing centers.
• Endangered Species status for the Alabama hickorynut and threatened species status for the Obovaria cf. unicolor.
• Endangered species status plus critical habitat for the Black Creek crayfish.
• Revised voluntary standards for soft infant and toddler carriers.
• Filling standards for wine and spirits.
• New safety standards for water beads.

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