Browse regulations

The Hobby Protection Act regulates imitation political and numismatic items, requiring manufacturers and importers to mark them with either the calendar year (political items) or 'COPY' (numismatic items). The regulation specifies exact dimensions, fonts, placement, and depth requirements, and applies to sellers and those providing 'substantial assistance.' The FTC enforces these requirements as violations of both the Act and the FTC Act, in addition to other federal and state laws.

No constitutional basis for federal regulation of purely local hobbyist commerce; state consumer protection laws and common law fraud already address deception. The detailed technical specifications (2mm minimum, sans-serif, specific placement) impose disproportionate compliance costs on small manufacturers while providing negligible additional consumer protection beyond voluntary labeling or existing state laws. Violates property rights by compelling speech on private products and represents regulatory overreach into matters properly left to states under the Tenth Amendment.

This regulation establishes procedures for the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) regarding public hearings, written submissions, and information disclosure for trade agreement matters, including notice requirements, brief submission rules, oral testimony procedures, and business confidentiality protections.

Creates unnecessary bureaucratic procedural overhead for trade policy decisions that should be handled through direct executive action and congressional oversight, adding costs and delays without constitutional justification for federal involvement in trade policy administration.

This regulation establishes the organizational structure for U.S. trade policy coordination, creating multiple committees (Trade Policy Committee, Review Group, Staff Committee, and Section 301 Committee) with various agency representatives to manage trade agreements, negotiations, and disputes.

These committees represent bureaucratic overhead that adds compliance costs and delays to trade policy without creating value. The same coordination could occur through existing executive channels. Multiple layers of interagency committees create decision-making bottlenecks and enable regulatory capture through committee membership.

Establishes the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) within the Executive Office of the President, defining its organization (USTR, Deputy USTRs, Trade Policy Committee and subcommittees) and detailing its functions in trade negotiations, congressional reporting, advice on trade barriers, implementation of trade agreements, administration of trade preference programs, and public consultation processes.

Deleting this regulation would eliminate transparent, rule-bound procedures for USTR operations, increasing arbitrary executive power and reducing accountability. The regulation codifies essential checks—public participation, interagency coordination, and congressional reporting—that constrain abuse and ensure predictability for businesses, workers, and trading partners. While the USTR's underlying statutory functions are necessary for coherent trade policy, removing these procedural safeguards would undermine the rule of law and increase capture risk, ultimately harming economic liberty and stable international commerce.

Federal regulations establishing a comprehensive application and approval process for international expositions seeking U.S. government recognition and potential federal participation. Requires 15 detailed exhibits covering purpose, financials, infrastructure, labor, environment, and management. Involves review by Commerce Department Director, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of State, and ultimately Presidential determination of 'national interest.' Could authorize federal pavilion construction and taxpayer funding. Implements U.S. obligations under the 1928 Paris Convention and BIE rules governing international exposition frequency and categories.

This federal regulatory regime for international expositions violates core principles of limited government and free markets. The extensive application requirements (15 exhibits) create prohibitive compliance costs that protect established, well-funded exposition organizers from competition, while imposing a hidden tax on American taxpayers to subsidize politically-favored events. The 'national interest' standard is dangerously vague, inviting bureaucratic expansion and corporate welfare through federal pavilion construction. International exposition organization is properly a private or state/local matter—not an enumerated federal power. The BIE treaty obligations do not require this level of federal micro-management of state and private planning. The revolving door between agencies and exposition contractors would inevitably lead to regulatory capture, with rules written to benefit insiders. This is exactly the type of non-essential, liberty-infringing regulation that must be purged to restore constitutional federalism and reduce the $2 trillion annual compliance burden.

Regulation establishes classifications and operating rules for small commercial air carriers (air taxi operators and commuter air carriers), providing them exemptions from full economic regulation (certificate of public convenience and necessity) while requiring registration, insurance, fitness determinations for scheduled service, and consumer protection measures.

While this provides lighter regulation than full certification, it still imposes federal gatekeeping via 'fit, willing, and able' determinations, registration fees, and reporting burdens that disproportionately harm small entrepreneurs. Economic regulation of air transportation—deciding who may compete—violates free entry principles. The FAA already certifies aircraft and pilots for safety; the DOT's economic oversight serves no legitimate purpose beyond protecting incumbent certificated carriers from competition. Passenger protections (baggage liability) can be achieved through state contract law and market forces without federal mandates.

FCA Privacy Act regulations implementing 5 U.S.C. 552a, establishing procedures for individuals to access, amend, and control disclosure of personal records maintained by the Farm Credit Administration, including exemptions for law enforcement materials

Americans would be worse off without these protections - they provide essential privacy safeguards, due process rights for correcting inaccurate records, and transparency about government-held personal information. The exemptions for law enforcement are narrowly tailored and necessary for effective criminal investigations.

Federal regulation implementing Privacy Act procedures for FDIC records, establishing access/amendment rights, identity verification, disclosure restrictions, fee schedules, and exemptions for law enforcement/employment records

Americans would be worse off without these privacy protections - individuals need legal mechanisms to access, correct, and control their personal data held by federal agencies, preventing misuse and ensuring accountability in government record-keeping

This regulation establishes enforcement procedures for collecting energy information under the Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination Act (ESECA) and Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act (EPAA). It defines energy information broadly, sets up violation determination procedures, and authorizes remedial orders, immediate compliance orders, criminal fines up to $5,000, civil penalties up to $13,273, injunctions, and subpoena enforcement through federal courts.

This regulation creates a massive federal information collection apparatus that violates property rights and privacy. The broad definition of 'energy information' allows the government to demand detailed corporate data on reserves, exploration, costs, prices, and proprietary relationships. This enables regulatory capture and market manipulation while imposing significant compliance costs on businesses. The Commerce Clause does not justify federal control over energy markets, and states can handle energy information collection through their own regulatory frameworks.

This regulation establishes a certification program for technical animal fats (including tallow) intended for export, requiring rendering plants and storage facilities to obtain certification, maintain separate handling procedures, undergo regular inspections, and pay fees for USDA oversight to ensure fats are rendered from inspected and passed carcasses of animals that died by slaughter rather than other causes.

This is a classic example of regulatory overreach into an area that should be handled by private certification and market mechanisms. The $2 trillion annual compliance cost burden is exactly what this type of regulation exemplifies - creating a costly bureaucratic infrastructure where private sector solutions would be more efficient and responsive to consumer needs. The regulation distorts market incentives, raises barriers to entry for small rendering operations, and represents federal overreach into what should be interstate commerce decisions between private parties.

Federal tuberculosis eradication program for livestock including cattle, bison, and captive cervids, establishing disease control measures, indemnity payments for destroyed animals, identification requirements, and specific buffer zone depopulation program in Texas-Mexico border region.

This regulation creates a massive federal bureaucracy with $2+ trillion in hidden compliance costs, distorts agricultural markets through price controls and indemnity payments, and violates constitutional federalism by federalizing what should be state/local disease control matters.

This regulation governs immigration appeal procedures, including case certification for complex or novel issues, fee schedules for appeals/motions/applications ($975 for immigration judge appeals, $895 for BIA motions), fee waiver mechanisms, and FOIA fee provisions.

Imposes significant financial barriers to immigration appeals and adds bureaucratic delays through certification, disproportionately harming low-income immigrants while providing no offsetting benefit to the justice system.

This regulation comprehensively governs the procedural requirements for filing immigration benefit requests with USCIS, covering signatures, fees, evidence standards, representation, translations, interviews, appeals, notifications, and agency discretion in adjudication. It establishes a complex administrative framework that applicants and petitioners must navigate.

The regulation imposes substantial hidden costs on immigrants and businesses through non-refundable fees, mandatory legal representation due to complexity, and burdensome evidentiary requirements that distort incentives and create barriers to entry. It grants excessive discretionary power to agency officials, enables regulatory capture through complex rules favoring established actors, and represents the type of bureaucratic overreach that violates the rule of law—no citizen can reasonably comprehend this maze. The compliance burden, particularly on small entities and individuals, far exceeds any marginal benefit in fraud prevention, while the federal government has unconstitutionally assumed powers that should reside with the states under the Tenth Amendment.

NRCS operates a cooperative snow survey and water supply forecast program in 11 western states, providing monthly water supply forecasts and hydro-meteorological data to agricultural users, water managers, and the public. The program maintains observation networks, offers interpretative analyses, and shares data freely while accepting cooperator contributions for special services.

This program addresses a market failure: comprehensive water resource data has positive externalities and requires cross-state coordination that private actors would underprovide. Deleting it would fragment critical agricultural water intelligence, raising costs and reducing efficiency in America's most arid region. The voluntary, cooperative structure respects federalism while serving a legitimate regional need.

This regulation implements Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) procedures for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), establishing how the public can request records, the appeal process, fee structures, and disclosure policies including exemptions and discretionary releases.

Americans would be worse off if this regulation was deleted because it ensures transparency and accountability in government operations, allowing citizens to access information about animal and plant health programs that directly affect food safety, agricultural practices, and public health. The FOIA framework provides a critical check on government power and enables informed public participation in regulatory matters.