THE WEEK IN REGULATIONS: SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND SPORT PILOTS

The following information was released by the Competitive Enterprise Institute:

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates. Congress passed a Russia sanctions bill that gives President Trump more tariff authority. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from milk prices to hardbottom habitats.

On to the data:

Agencies issued 44 new final regulations last week.

This is equivalent to one new final regulation every three hours and 59 minutes.

Agencies have issued 2,150 final regulations so far in 2026.

At this pace, agencies will issue 2,986 final regulations this year.

For comparison, there were 2,441 final regulations in 2025, 3,248 in 2024, and 3,018 in 2023.

Agencies issued 31 new proposed regulations last week.

With 1,295 proposed regulations so far in 2026, agencies are on pace to issue 1,799 proposed regulations this year.

For comparison, there were 1,498 proposed regulations in 2025, 1,769 in 2024, and 2,102 in 2023.

Agencies issued 484 notices last week.

With 15,118 notices so far in 2026, agencies are on pace to issue 20,997 notices this year.

For comparison, there were 19,820 notices in 2025, 25,506 in 2024, and 22,902 in 2023.

There were 1,685 new Federal Register pages last week.

With 59,694 pages so far, the 2026 Federal Register is on pace to reach 82,908 pages.

The average Federal Register issue in 2026 contains 333 pages.

For comparison, the 2025 Federal Register had 61,461 pages, and 2024 had an all-time record 107,261 pages. The 2023 edition had 90,402 pages.

Rules with annual economic effects of $100 million or more in at least one year qualify as economically significant.

During the Biden administration, this category was temporarily scrapped and replaced with a $200 million annual threshold for being called significant under Section 3(f)(1) of Executive Order 12866 as amended.

A 2025 Trump executive order scrapped the $200 million 3(f)(1) threshold and revived the $100 million economically significant category. Because of the length of time the rulemaking process takes, rules under both thresholds are still appearing.

So far in 2026, there are 22 new regulations that are either 3(f)(1) or economically significant. One such regulation appeared in the previous week.

This pace will yield 31 new regulations in 2026 that are either 3(f)(1) or economically significant.

For comparison, there were 17 new regulations in 2025 that were either 3(f)(1) or economically significant, 20 in 2024, and 28 in 2023. Note that these are not apples-to-apples comparisons, since 3(f)(1) and economically significant rules have different thresholds.

Regulations that are new in 2026 and are either 3(f)(1) or economically significant are estimated to produce somewhere between net annual savings of $916 billion and net costs of $124 billion.

For context, 3(f)(1) or economically significant regulations in 2025 had estimated net annual costs of $219 million to $1.64 billion. The figures for 2024 are net annual savings of $16.42 billion to $26.45 billion. The exact numbers depend on discount rates and other assumptions.

In the past week there were five final regulations meeting the broader definition of "significant."

So far this year, 161 new final regulations meet the broader definition of "significant." This pace will yield 224 significant final regulations in 2026.

For comparison, there were 155 such regulations in 2025, 339 in 2024, and 290 in 2023.

So far in 2026, 461 new regulations affect small businesses, making a yearly pace of 640. Nineteen of them are significant, making a yearly pace of 26.

For comparison, in 2025 there were 597 regulations affecting small businesses, 30 of them significant. In 2024 there were 770 regulations affecting small businesses, 76 of them significant. In 2023 there were 789 regulations affecting small businesses, 106 of them significant.

Highlights from last week's new final regulations:

Competitive bidding for school library services.

FCC regulatory fees.

Tests for sport pilots.

Munitions categories for arms trafficking purposes.

A non-NATO ally list for arms traffickers.

Homeland Security Department restrictions on buying foreign personal protective equipment.

Price controls for milk.

Energy conservation standards for manufactured housing.

Partial repeal of carbon pollution standards for power plants.

Revoking obsolete infant bouncer seat and stationary activity center regulations.

Social Security regulations for evaluating cardiovascular disorders.

CFTC whistleblower awards.

Highlights from last week's proposed regulations:

Types of aircraft used in fighting wildfires.

Incinerating waste in DC.

And in Maryland.

Hardbottom habitats for coral.

Four new regulations as part of a "Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul."