Browse regulations

Regulation mandates that public utilities adhere to a Uniform System of Accounts as detailed in part 101 of the subchapter, imposing specific accounting classifications, chart of accounts, and reporting requirements on entities regulated by FERC.

The uniform accounting system imposes substantial compliance costs on utilities, which are ultimately passed to consumers. It duplicates GAAP without clear benefit, creates barriers to entry for smaller utilities, and represents unnecessary federal overreach into state-regulated matters. Unseen costs include innovation-stifling rigidity and entrenchment of regulatory capture.

Compilation of FERC procedural and substantive regulations covering notice publication, public comment procedures, information disclosure, Indian tribe consultation, rate suspension standards, hydroelectric licensing requirements, transmission service access rules, and cost of capital calculations. These rules govern FERC's administration of the Natural Gas Act and Federal Power Act.

These regulations embed extensive procedural layers that increase the $2 trillion compliance burden, create delays via mandatory tribal consultation and comprehensive plan reviews, and invite regulatory interference in private contracts through price squeeze procedures. They federalize matters reserved to states under the Tenth Amendment, protect incumbents by raising barriers for small players, and represent bureaucratic accumulation rather than constitutionally limited governance.

Regulation governing 'negative option' marketing plans (automatic merchandise shipments unless consumer declines), imposing specific disclosure, timing, and return/credit requirements on sellers to prevent deceptive practices.

Keeping this regulation imposes direct compliance costs on a voluntary business model, with small businesses disproportionately burdened. Federal oversight of contractual terms exceeds constitutional authority under the Tenth Amendment, distorts market innovation by prescribing rigid one-size-fits-all rules, and creates barriers to entry. The vague 'unfair or deceptive' standard invites regulatory overreach. Unseen costs include reduced consumer choice, stifled experimentation with alternative marketing mechanisms, and a chilling effect on entrepreneurship in direct-response commerce.

Citation to Trade Regulation Rule in Federal Register 29 FR 8325 (July 2, 1964). No regulatory text provided.

The document is merely a reference pointer with no substantive provisions; it imposes no costs. Deleting it removes an unnecessary citation without affecting any real regulation.

Defines 'industry guides' as administrative interpretations issued by the Commission to guide public compliance with laws, with potential enforcement action for non-compliance.

Legitimizes backdoor regulation without notice-and-comment, increasing compliance costs and enabling arbitrary agency power. Small businesses suffer disproportionately as they must track shifting guidance, creating barriers to entry. Undermines rule of law by allowing rules to be changed without proper process.

Reservation of a CFR part for interpretations of parts 710–721 and applicability of OPCW decisions.

It adds to regulatory bloat without imposing any substantive obligations; removal simplifies the CFR and reduces unnecessary complexity.

Regulation governing access to decennial census records, requiring Form BC-600, fees, notarized statements, and limiting disclosure to the individual, authorized family members, guardians, or estate representatives for deceased persons. Ensures confidentiality while allowing legitimate access.

Deleting this regulation would weaken privacy protections for highly sensitive personal data (household composition, ages, birthplaces). The multi-layered verification system and access restrictions are necessary to prevent unauthorized disclosure while enabling legitimate requests. Without clear rules, the Census Bureau would lack guidance, risking either privacy breaches or arbitrary denials, undermining public trust in census confidentiality which is essential for accurate data collection.

Establishes fee structures and procedural requirements for optional Census Bureau services including age/citizenship searches, special population censuses, certification of statistical materials, and geographically updated population certification for governmental units.

These are fee-for-service arrangements providing optional, specialized statistical products that communities and individuals voluntarily purchase. Deleting would not improve liberty because no one is compelled to use these services; they fund themselves through user fees. The certification function provides official government verification of population data—a necessary public good for legal and governmental purposes that private entities cannot authentically replicate. The administrative costs are minimal relative to the value of maintaining standardized, authoritative demographic records for legitimate government functions.

Delegates authority within the Department of Commerce to handle tort claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act, establishes internal procedures for receiving, investigating, and adjudicating claims against the department, including award/denial processes and payment procedures.

Americans would be worse off without clear due process procedures for legitimate tort claims against the government. This internal administrative rule ensures orderly, consistent, and legally compliant handling of claims, preventing arbitrary denial of valid claims and protecting both claimants and taxpayers. Repealing it would create chaos and likely violate constitutional due process requirements.

Federal program providing payments to agricultural producers based on planted acreage of eligible commodities. Administered by the Commodity Credit Corporation through the Farm Service Agency with detailed eligibility criteria, reporting requirements, payment rates, and compliance provisions.

The program imposes significant unseen costs: it distorts agricultural markets by encouraging overproduction of subsidized crops, misallocates capital toward politically favored commodities, and raises barriers to entry for small farmers who cannot navigate complex eligibility rules. Taxpayers bear direct costs while consumers face higher prices through embedded subsidies in food. The program violates constitutional federalism, as agriculture is reserved to the states under the Tenth Amendment. The $155,000 payment cap and $900,000 AGI limits create artificial winners and losers, and the administrative bureaucracy creates compliance burdens exceeding program benefits. The market would efficiently allocate resources to genuine farming enterprises without these distortions.

Regulation establishing award terms for recipients of foreign assistance funds, prohibiting discriminatory equity ideology and unlawful DEI-related discrimination, requiring compliance monitoring and sub-recipient agreements.

Imposes federal mandates on private entities regarding speech and association, creating compliance burdens exceeding $14,000 per household annually while infringing on First Amendment principles and state sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment.

This regulation imposes ideological restrictions on US foreign assistance programs, prohibiting recipients from promoting 'gender ideology' or providing 'sex-rejecting procedures' abroad. It applies to foreign NGOs, international organizations, and US NGOs receiving State Department foreign aid, with extensive monitoring, enforcement, and sub-award flow-down requirements. The regulation contains detailed definitions of prohibited activities and requires physical/financial separation of restricted programs from other activities.

This regulation weaponizes foreign assistance to advance a specific ideological agenda, imposing massive compliance burdens on humanitarian and development work. The vague, circular definitions create uncertainty that chills legitimate activities. It represents the worst of regulatory overreach: using funding to control speech and conduct of private organizations abroad, reducing aid effectiveness by disqualifying capable NGOs that don't share this viewpoint, and adding administrative costs that divert resources from actual assistance. The federal government should set policy priorities for foreign aid through appropriations and program design, not micromanage ideological content through complex, unworkable restrictions that undermine both liberty and aid effectiveness.

This regulation implements the 'Mexico City Policy' or 'Global Gag Rule,' prohibiting foreign NGOs receiving US State Department foreign assistance from providing or promoting abortion as a method of family planning outside the US, requiring separation of funds/activities, and establishing monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.

Imposes ideological conditions on foreign aid that distort voluntary transactions, create compliance burdens, restrict free speech, and likely increase unwanted pregnancies by reducing access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare - representing government overreach contrary to liberty and free enterprise principles.

Federal regulations under the Endangered Species Act designating specific marine areas and shorelines as 'critical habitat' for protected species, triggering use restrictions and federal consultation requirements for any federal actions in these zones.

These regulations impose staggering hidden costs—$billions in delayed projects, depressed property values, and compliance burdens—while violating federalism by commandeering state and private land-use decisions. They create perverse incentives for preemptive habitat destruction, distort markets, and fall hardest on small businesses. The Tenth Amendment reserves these police powers to states; voluntary conservation and state-level protections could achieve species preservation more efficiently without federal overreach's unseen economic damage.

Requires FTA-assisted construction/modification projects to complete an energy assessment analyzing design, materials, fuel requirements (projected over facility life with costs), and consideration of non-petroleum/renewable energy sources. Assessment must be documented in EA/EIS or submitted with application. Costs may be FTA-eligible. Excludes pre-Oct 1980 applications.

Federal micromanagement of local transit facility design imposes compliance costs and delays, violates federalism by overriding state/local authority over building standards, and suffers from the knowledge problem—bureaucrats cannot optimally determine energy choices for diverse projects nationwide. States and localities can set their own energy requirements if desired without federal imposition.