Browse regulations

Federal Work-Study program provides part-time employment to students with financial need, encouraging community service and on-campus/off-campus work opportunities with matching federal and institutional funds

Creates artificial jobs that displace regular employment, burdens taxpayers with $2+ billion annual costs, and distorts labor markets by subsidizing employers with cheap student labor

This regulation (34 CFR 674) governs the Federal Perkins Loan Program, a federal student loan program that provided low-interest loans to financially needy students through participating colleges. It defines terms, eligibility requirements, loan limits, institutional fund management rules, cohort default rate calculations, and penalties for institutions with high default rates. The program ended in 2017.

The program is obsolete (repealed in 2017). Even when active, it violated Tenth Amendment federalism principles by federalizing education finance, created moral hazard by sharing default risk with institutions, and contributed to artificial inflation of higher education costs through subsidized credit—classic unseen burdens of regulatory intervention that distort markets and burden taxpayers.

Regulation governs institutions participating in federal Title IV student aid programs (Pell Grants, Stafford/Direct Loans, PLUS, Work-Study, etc.). It defines eligibility criteria, imposes extensive reporting and compliance requirements, and implements 'gainful employment' rules that condition program access to federal loans on debt-to-earnings ratios and earnings thresholds measured against high school graduate benchmarks.

Imposes massive hidden compliance costs (~$1,000/student annually) that fall hardest on small career colleges, distorting educational choices through centrally-planned metrics that ignore long-term earnings trajectories and regional labor markets. This federal intrusion into education violates Tenth Amendment federalism, substitutes bureaucratic judgment for individual choice, and protects incumbent universities from competition—the quintessential regulatory Hayek called the 'pretense of knowledge.' The gainful employment rule particularly harms low-income students by closing vocational programs deemed 'poor value' by Washington, while the true harm is the destroyed opportunity and forced enrollment in more expensive, federally-favored alternatives.

Federal grant program providing funds to eligible colleges serving low-income students to strengthen academic programs, management, and fiscal stability. Eligibility requires: at least 50% of students receiving federal aid OR exceeding median Pell Grant percentage; below-average expenditures per student; state authorization; and accreditation. Includes special provisions for tribal, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions. Grants fund activities like faculty development, equipment, facilities renovation, curriculum development, and endowment building (max 20%). Prohibits religious instruction and certain operational costs.

Constitutional federalism violation: education is a state/local matter under the 10th Amendment, not enumerated federal power. Creates dependency on federal funds, distorting institutional priorities toward grant compliance over educational excellence. $2 trillion+ annual regulatory burden includes these administrative costs. Compliance disproportionately harms small colleges that lack grant-writing infrastructure. Unseen consequences: gaming of 'needy student' metrics, endowment subsidies that don't directly improve education, and continued expansion of Commerce Clause precedent enabling federal overreach. States and private donors are better positioned to identify and fund institutional needs without creating permanent constituencies lobbying for continued transfers.

Establishes procedures for the Department of Education to recover overpayments from current or former employees through pay deductions, including notice requirements, pre-offset hearing rights, waiver options, and repayment schedules.

Deleting it would strip federal employees of guaranteed procedural safeguards against erroneous or excessive wage garnishments, inviting arbitrary government collection; the regulation achieves consistent, fair recovery in a way that ad hoc policies or after-the-fact litigation cannot reliably replicate.

Federal regulation requiring ports and terminals servicing oceangoing ships (400+ gross tons) to maintain certified reception facilities for oily mixtures, noxious liquid substances, and garbage. Implements MARPOL treaty through detailed capacity standards, Coast Guard certification, and enforcement with civil/criminal penalties.

This federal one-size-fits-all mandate imposes massive compliance costs on ports—especially small facilities—while violating Tenth Amendment federalism. Environmental protection can be achieved through state regulation, tort liability, and market incentives. The regulatory capture inherent in Coast Guard certification raises barriers to entry, protects incumbents, and distorts port competition. Federal bureaucratic control over local port operations represents unacceptable mission creep beyond constitutional authority.

Establishes alcohol and drug impairment standards for vessel operators, requiring blood alcohol concentration limits (.08% for recreational vessels, .04% for commercial vessels), chemical testing procedures, and operational restrictions for crew members. Applies to vessels on U.S. waters and owned U.S. vessels on the high seas, with provisions for state law coordination and marine employer responsibilities.

Americans would be worse off if deleted because maritime safety requires clear impairment standards to prevent accidents that could kill passengers, crew, and other boaters. The regulation creates uniform, enforceable standards that protect public safety on shared waterways where collisions and disasters have catastrophic consequences.

This regulation establishes the U.S. Aids to Navigation System administered by the Coast Guard, defining types of navigational aids (beacons, buoys, lighthouses), their characteristics, markings, and signals. It outlines the system's design based on IALA standards, special markings for Intracoastal Waterway and Western Rivers, and covers private aids, discrepancy reporting, and public recommendations.

Maritime navigation requires uniform, coordinated signaling to prevent catastrophic accidents. A privatized system would create conflicting signals, endangering lives and disrupting commerce. The Coast Guard's centralized administration ensures reliability, international consistency, and comprehensive coverage that private actors underprovid. Without federal standards, unmarked hazards would increase shipwrecks, environmental damage, and loss of life—costs far exceeding this regulation's minimal compliance burden.

Procedures for requesting advisory opinions on Selective Service registration liability for males born after 1959, including confidentiality provisions and reconsideration rights.

Mandatory draft registration represents a form of involuntary servitude that violates individual liberty and the Thirteenth Amendment. The advisory opinion system adds bureaucratic complexity without addressing the fundamental coercion of forcing citizens to register for potential military service against their will.

Establishes administrative procedures for processing Selective Service registrants residing outside the U.S., including board structures, jurisdictional rules, and transportation arrangements for induction.

Minimal practical impact but adds unnecessary bureaucratic complexity; overseas registrant processing could be handled through simpler administrative mechanisms without distinct boards and prescribed transportation protocols, reducing hidden compliance costs and federal overreach into conscription administration.

DoD regulation implementing 10 U.S.C. 2556, authorizing military installations to provide shelter and incidental services (utilities, bedding, security, etc.) to homeless persons without reimbursement, operated by state/local governments or charities, provided it doesn't interfere with military readiness.

Military installations exist for national defense, not social welfare. Using defense assets for homeless shelters—even with charitable operators—diverts resources from the core mission, creates mission creep, and appropriates taxpayer-funded military infrastructure for non-defense purposes. The proper role for addressing homelessness lies with private charities, states, and localities under the Tenth Amendment, not the Pentagon.

Establishes administrative procedures for imposing civil penalties and assessments against persons who make false claims or statements to federal authorities, including hearing and appeal rights.

Creates an extensive bureaucratic apparatus for prosecuting fraud that duplicates existing criminal law enforcement, imposes compliance costs on legitimate businesses, and expands federal jurisdiction over matters better handled by states or private civil litigation.

Regulation establishes Treasury Department's procedures for implementing FOIA, covering request submission, processing timelines, fee structures, appeals, and handling of confidential commercial information across all Treasury components.

Deletion would undermine FOIA implementation, enabling arbitrary denial or delay of public records requests. These procedures ensure transparency, accountability, and consistent treatment of requesters, aligning with Congress's intent to provide citizens access to government information. The regulation achieves orderly processing in a manner that would be difficult to maintain without formal rules, preventing potential abuse and fostering trust in government.

This regulation governs the sale of royalty oil from federal lands to eligible refiners, establishing procedures for application, allocation, and contract management under the Royalty-in-Kind program. It creates a system where small refiners can purchase government-owned oil at fair market value, with strict eligibility requirements and surety requirements to protect federal interests.

This creates a complex bureaucratic system that distorts free market oil pricing, protects incumbent refiners through preferential treatment, and imposes compliance costs on businesses. The government should not be in the business of allocating oil resources - let private market forces determine oil distribution and pricing without federal intervention.

This regulation implements the Fair Labor Standards Act's provisions for state and local government employees, specifically establishing rules for compensatory time off (comp time) in lieu of cash overtime pay. It defines eligibility, sets accrual limits (480 hours for public safety/emergency/seasonal workers, 240 for others), requires pre-work agreements, mandates payment upon termination at the higher of average or final rate, and distinguishes between statutory FLSA overtime comp time and 'other' comp time.

This represents unacceptable federal overreach into state and local government employment practices. The Tenth Amendment reserves personnel management to states and localities. The regulation imposes significant compliance costs on state/local taxpayers while stripping local governments of flexibility to design employment terms suited to their communities. The 480/240 hour caps, agreement requirements, and payment formulas create bureaucratic complexity that diverts resources from public services. State and local governments are fully capable of negotiating appropriate overtime compensation with their employees through collective bargaining and personnel policies without federal micromanagement. The regulation's costs include reduced state sovereignty, increased administrative burdens, and distorted incentives that prevent optimal labor contracting between governments and their workers.