Browse regulations

Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to conduct pilot programs testing commercial acquisition practices in defense procurement, allowing waivers from certain regulations and statutes to promote efficiency and reduce government-unique requirements.

This regulation promotes acquisition efficiency by allowing testing of commercial practices that could reduce costs and improve delivery times for defense systems. Without it, the Pentagon would remain locked into rigid government-unique procedures that drive up costs and delay critical defense capabilities.

This regulation establishes comprehensive blocking and reporting requirements for U.S. financial institutions regarding transactions involving foreign terrorist organizations designated under 8 U.S.C. 1189, including asset freezing, reporting obligations, and specific licensing provisions for certain legal services and humanitarian activities.

This regulation imposes massive compliance costs on financial institutions ($2+ trillion in regulatory burden), creates a complex 185,000-page regulatory labyrinth that no one can fully comprehend, and represents federal overreach into areas that should be handled at state/local levels. The administrative burden and compliance costs disproportionately harm small businesses while providing minimal security benefits compared to market-based solutions.

Federal regulation blocking property and transactions involving specially designated narcotics traffickers, with comprehensive definitions and procedures for licensing and exceptions.

This regulation represents massive federal overreach into property rights and commercial transactions. The extensive blocking of assets, prohibition of services, and broad definitions of 'interest' and 'transfer' create a de facto police state apparatus that violates due process, enables regulatory capture, and imposes enormous compliance costs on American businesses while providing minimal actual benefit in the drug war.

Comprehensive reporting and recordkeeping requirements for transactions under economic sanctions programs administered by OFAC, including blocking, unblocking, and litigation-related reporting obligations

Creates massive compliance burden on businesses, enables regulatory overreach through extensive documentation requirements, and imposes significant costs without clear evidence of improved enforcement effectiveness

Federal regulations governing the book-entry system for Sallie Mae securities, establishing rules for electronic maintenance, transfer, and ownership of student loan securities through the Federal Reserve Banks' automated system.

This regulation creates unnecessary complexity and bureaucracy for student loan securities trading. The book-entry system adds administrative costs without providing meaningful benefits to taxpayers or students. Private financial institutions could develop more efficient electronic trading systems if needed, eliminating the government's role in securities maintenance and reducing compliance costs for Sallie Mae and investors.

A Treasury program offering non-interest-bearing bonds to mortgage guaranty insurance companies to offset tax and loss impacts, with specific issuance, redemption, and exemption provisions.

Creates a special tax exemption for a narrow industry, distorting market incentives and enabling regulatory capture. The government should not be picking winners by offering targeted tax breaks to specific financial institutions.

Federal regulations governing administrative offset and tax refund offset procedures for collecting past-due child support and other debts from Federal payments and tax refunds, establishing notification requirements, fee structures, and exemption criteria.

These regulations create a massive administrative bureaucracy for debt collection that imposes significant compliance costs on federal agencies, distorts market incentives by creating special collection mechanisms, and represents federal overreach into what should be state-level family law enforcement matters.

This regulation implements 31 U.S.C. 333(c), establishing an administrative civil penalty regime to punish misuse of Treasury Department names, titles, abbreviations, symbols, seals, or badges that could mislead people into believing commercial activities are government-endorsed. It defines violation criteria, sets penalties up to $49,772 per broadcast/telecast use, outlines an administrative enforcement process (Initial Notice, written response, Final Notice), and provides for judicial review.

Redundant with existing trademark/fraud laws; creates chilling effect through vague standards ('colorable imitation,' 'could reasonably be interpreted') and severe penalties ($50k per violation); imposes unnecessary administrative burden and bypasses ordinary judicial process. Government interest in preventing confusion can be adequately protected through Lanham Act litigation and criminal prosecutions under the underlying statute.

Establishes procedures for Treasury employees to file claims for personal property lost or damaged while on official duty.

Deletion would remove a fair, efficient process for compensating employees for work-related property damage, causing uncompensated losses, reduced morale, higher litigation costs, and making federal service less attractive, ultimately harming the government's operations and the public it serves.

Federal regulation providing procedures for delegating royalty management functions from ONRR to states for oil, gas, and mineral leases, including audit, reporting, and verification functions with detailed standards and compensation requirements.

This regulation represents federal overreach into state-level mineral revenue management, creating unnecessary bureaucracy and compliance costs. States should have full autonomy over their natural resources without federal micromanagement, and the complex delegation procedures add regulatory burden without clear benefits.

Sets maximum daily penalty of $365 for failure to provide required notices for multiemployer pension plans under ERISA §4302, adjusted for inflation under the Federal Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment Act.

This penalty enforcement mechanism duplicates existing state contract and tort law remedies; the marginal deterrent benefit does not justify expanding federal regulatory reach into pension plan administration, especially given the compliance burden on small multiemployer plans. Pension disclosure requirements could be better handled through market forces, state regulations, and private contractual enforcement rather than federal penalty threats.

This regulation sets the maximum daily penalty amount ($2,739) that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) can assess under ERISA section 4071 for failures to provide required notices or information, with the amount adjusted for inflation under federal penalty adjustment laws.

Americans would be worse off if this regulation was deleted because it ensures consistent enforcement of pension plan notice requirements, maintaining transparency and accountability. Without clear penalty authority, plan administrators would have reduced incentive to provide critical information to participants, undermining the retirement security of millions of workers who depend on accurate pension disclosures.

This regulation establishes procedures for terminating single-employer pension plans under ERISA, including standard and distress termination methods, notice requirements to participants, and asset distribution rules.

This regulation creates complex bureaucratic procedures that protect incumbent pension administrators while imposing compliance costs on businesses. The $2 trillion+ annual regulatory compliance burden includes such administrative overhead that serves entrenched interests rather than protecting workers. States could handle pension oversight more efficiently under constitutional federalism.

Federal regulation implementing ERISA's continuation coverage (COBRA) notice requirements for group health plans. Mandates that plan administrators provide detailed written notices to covered employees and beneficiaries about their rights to continue health coverage after qualifying events like job loss, divorce, or reduction in hours. Contains extensive content requirements, timing rules (90-day initial notice, 14-day election notice), delivery standards, and model notice provisions. Regulates employer obligations to notify administrators of qualifying events and beneficiary obligations to report certain events/SSA disability determinations.

This federal mandate imposes significant compliance costs on employers and plan administrators for a program with low utility—COBRA coverage is unaffordable for most unemployed workers, with take-up rates under 20%. The detailed notice requirements create administrative burden that raises health insurance costs, disproportionately harms small businesses, and violates principles of freedom of contract. States or the market can address any legitimate need for continuation coverage more efficiently without bureaucratic micromanagement of private benefit arrangements.

This regulation (29 CFR Part 1918) establishes comprehensive safety standards for longshoring operations—loading, unloading, and handling cargo aboard vessels. It covers access equipment (gangways, ladders, ramps), cargo gear inspection and certification based on international labor standards, personal protective equipment requirements, and numerous operational safety protocols. The rule incorporates many private standards by reference (ANSI, ASTM) and applies to all longshoring operations except those using purely shore-based equipment.

While maritime work is dangerous, these federal safety mandates duplicate existing industry standards, impose substantial compliance costs on small businesses, and represent federal overreach into workplace safety that should be governed by state law or private contracts. Market forces—including insurance requirements, liability risks, and competition for workers—already incentivize employers to maintain safe operations. The one-size-fits-all federal approach stifles innovation in safety practices, raises barriers to entry for small operators, and adds to the $2 trillion annual regulatory burden on Americans. States are better positioned to tailor safety requirements to local conditions and industry practices, and international standards can be adopted voluntarily through maritime contracts rather than mandated by federal bureaucracy.