Browse regulations

Prohibits use of federal funds for lobbying activities related to federal contracts, grants, loans, and cooperative agreements; requires certification and disclosure forms for non-appropriated funds used for lobbying; establishes civil penalties for violations; includes reporting requirements to Congress; exempts certain agency and legislative liaison activities; provides for DoD exemptions in national interest cases.

Prevents taxpayer money from funding lobbying that could corrupt federal contracting process; ensures transparency in influence attempts; protects competitive bidding integrity; allows legitimate agency communications while blocking improper influence payments; provides accountability through reporting and penalties.

This regulation establishes federal standards for the curation of archaeological collections recovered under multiple federal statutes (Antiquities Act, Reservoir Salvage Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Archaeological Resources Protection Act). It sets requirements for repositories, mandates that federal agencies place collections in repositories with adequate curatorial capabilities, and provides guidelines for agreements, funding, and access. It includes special provisions for collections from Indian lands and religious remains.

The federal regulation of museum collections represents unconstitutional overreach into an area reserved to states and private institutions under the Tenth Amendment. Curation standards should emerge organically through market competition, professional accreditation, and state/local governance—not federal mandate. The compliance burden (reporting, contract requirements, repository certification) diverts resources from actual preservation and creates entry barriers for smaller, innovative repositories. Federal agencies already possess statutory authority under the underlying Acts to manage collections; this layer of prescriptive regulation is unnecessary and concentrates power in Washington over cultural heritage that rightly belongs to local communities and private stewards.

This regulation establishes the certification process for historic structures and rehabilitations to qualify for federal tax incentives under Section 47 of the Internal Revenue Code. The National Park Service, in coordination with State Historic Preservation Officers, reviews applications, evaluates historic significance and rehabilitation compliance with the Secretary's Standards, and issues certifications that enable property owners to claim preservation tax credits. It defines 'certified historic structure,' 'certified rehabilitation,' and 'registered historic district,' and outlines application procedures, documentation requirements, and appeal processes.

This regulation creates a government-managed subsidy program that distorts real estate markets, imposes compliance burdens, and violates property rights by allowing federal bureaucrats to determine what qualifies as 'historically significant.' The tax incentives privilege certain property owners and uses, raising costs for non-historic properties and reducing housing affordability. The unseen consequences include regulatory capture by preservation interests, barriers to development and adaptive reuse, and the misallocation of capital based on political criteria rather than market demand. Tax code provisions for specific industries represent corporate welfare, not limited government. These incentives should be repealed to restore equal treatment under the tax code and allow free markets to determine preservation value through voluntary private action.

Federal program establishing and funding Language Resource Centers to improve foreign language teaching and learning through research, materials development, teacher training, and support for less commonly taught languages.

Federal intervention in foreign language education distorts market incentives, crowds out private sector solutions, and creates dependency on government funding. The costs of compliance and bureaucracy exceed any measurable benefits, while states and private institutions could more efficiently address language education needs without federal overreach into an area properly reserved for local control under the Tenth Amendment.

This regulation implements Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in federally conducted programs and activities, establishing accessibility requirements, and creating complaint procedures for the Department of Education.

Americans would be worse off if this regulation was deleted because it ensures equal access to federal education programs for millions of Americans with disabilities, provides legally enforceable protections against discrimination, and establishes clear mechanisms for addressing accessibility barriers that would otherwise leave disabled individuals unable to participate in federally funded educational opportunities.

This regulation requires all institutions of higher education receiving any federal financial assistance to adopt and implement a drug and alcohol abuse prevention program meeting specific federal specifications. Institutions must annually distribute written policies on conduct standards, legal sanctions, health risks, counseling resources, and disciplinary sanctions; conduct biennial reviews; certify compliance; and maintain records for three years. The regulation creates a comprehensive enforcement apparatus with penalties including repayment of federal funds and termination of eligibility, plus an elaborate administrative hearing process with Administrative Law Judges.

This regulation federalizes what should be local institutional decisions through coercive conditional spending, imposing significant compliance costs on universities to implement a one-size-fits-all federal program. It violates constitutional federalism by commandeering education and drug policy—areas reserved to states under the Tenth Amendment—and creates a bureaucratic enforcement apparatus with hearings, sanctions, and record-keeping mandates. The hidden tax on institutions distorts resource allocation, with compliance costs ultimately borne by students and taxpayers, while the centralized knowledge problem ensures suboptimal outcomes compared to state, local, or institutional solutions tailored to actual campus needs.

Federal regulation prohibiting use of appropriated funds for lobbying related to federal contracts, grants, loans, and cooperative agreements, requiring certification and disclosure forms for such activities, with civil penalties for violations and reporting requirements to Congress.

Creates massive compliance burden on businesses and government agencies, distorts legitimate advocacy activities, and represents federal overreach into First Amendment-protected political speech. The regulation's complex reporting requirements and civil penalties create a chilling effect on constitutionally protected petitioning of government, while the original problem it addresses (corruption) could be handled through existing criminal law and transparency measures.

Establishes procedures for processing administrative claims against the Air Force for property damage, personal injury, or death resulting from Air Force activities. Defines eligible claimants, payable claim types, filing requirements, settlement authority limits, and review processes. Covers claims including Military Personnel and Civilian Employees' Claims Act, tort claims, international agreements, and Article 139 UCMJ claims for willful damage.

This regulation provides a necessary administrative mechanism for resolving disputes between citizens and the government, avoiding costly litigation for both parties. Without it, claimants would face expensive lawsuits against the sovereign, while the government would incur far higher legal costs processing numerous individual claims in court. The procedures are narrowly confined to internal agency operations and do not impose burdens on the general public or interfere with private enterprise. They represent efficient stewardship of taxpayer resources by enabling fair, standardized resolution of legitimate grievances against military operations.

DoD policy establishing uniform procedures for releasing acquisition-related information to the public, balancing transparency with restrictions for classified information, contractor proprietary data, source selection details, planning/budget documents, government negotiating positions, and deliberative drafts.

Deletion would reduce transparency in defense spending, making it harder for taxpayers to hold the DoD accountable, while also risking inappropriate disclosure of information that could compromise national security, undermine fair competition in procurement, or reveal government negotiating strategies to contractors.

This regulation implements 10 U.S.C. 1095, requiring private health insurers to reimburse the Department of Defense for medical services provided to beneficiaries who are also covered by private insurance. It establishes mandatory payment rules, preempts conflicting state laws, prohibits insurers from excluding military facilities or treating them less favorably, and specifies complex rate-setting methodologies based primarily on CHAMPUS rates.

This represents unconstitutional federal overreach that distorts healthcare markets. It forces private insurers into contracts they didn't negotiate, imposes a hidden tax through mandated payments that ultimately raises premiums for all Americans, and violates principles of federalism by preempting state insurance regulation. The complex rate-setting bureaucracy creates compliance costs exceeding any benefits, while the mandated payments reduce price transparency and market competition. Insurance relationships should be voluntary—not compelled by federal fiat to subsidize military medical facilities.

DoD regulation establishing a comprehensive off-base housing discrimination enforcement program for military and civilian personnel, including complaint procedures, investigations with 'verifiers,' and mandatory minimum 180-day 'restrictive sanctions' (blacklisting) against landlords found to discriminate based on protected characteristics.

Creates a parallel enforcement bureaucracy that duplicates HUD/DOJ fair housing enforcement, imposes intrusive government testing of private landlords through verifiers, and authorizes economically devastating blacklist sanctions. Military should assist personnel in finding housing, not regulate private rental markets with punitive measures that harm landlords and distort housing availability.

Establishes guidelines for National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships, authorizing DoD Components to award fellowships to U.S. citizens pursuing graduate degrees in priority science and engineering fields through nationwide competition.

National security requires a robust domestic pipeline of scientists and engineers with expertise in defense-critical technologies. This program addresses a market failure: private funding alone cannot adequately support the breadth of STEM talent needed for national defense. Deleting it would weaken America's strategic position and create vulnerabilities that adversaries could exploit.

Prohibits use of federal contract/grant/loan/cooperative agreement funds for lobbying activities to influence federal officials or Congress regarding those federal actions; requires certifications and disclosure reports (Standard Form-LLL) from recipients regarding any lobbying with non-appropriated funds related to covered actions; imposes civil penalties of $10,000-$100,000 for violations; includes narrow exceptions for certain technical services and regularly employed personnel; applies to all recipients including state/local governments and nonprofit organizations.

Violates First Amendment by restricting and reporting on political speech; imposes disproportionate compliance costs, especially on small entities; chills legitimate advocacy; could be replaced by existing anti-corruption laws and simpler contractual restrictions on federal fund use; regulatory capture favors large incumbents.

Federal regulation requiring disclosure of lobbying activities related to federal contracts, grants, loans, and cooperative agreements, with certification requirements and civil penalties for non-compliance

Creates costly compliance bureaucracy, imposes $2 trillion+ in hidden compliance costs, and violates First Amendment by chilling protected political speech while failing to achieve its stated anti-corruption goals

1989 amendments to FLSA providing tiered minimum wage phase-in for Puerto Rico based on industry wage levels, with 4 tiers ranging from immediate full implementation to 7-year phase-in for low-wage industries and government entities

Creates artificial wage distortions and compliance costs, protects incumbent businesses, violates constitutional federalism by federalizing labor markets that should be state/local matters