Browse regulations

Sets procedures for filing tort claims against the Broadcasting Board of Governors under the FTCA, including use of Standard Form 95, two-year deadline, documentation requirements, and General Counsel settlement authority up to $25,000; removes the FTCA's foreign country exception for BBG actions.

Sustains unnecessary administrative overhead, extends taxpayer liability to foreign incidents, and perpetuates an unconstitutional federal media agency; FTCA's uniform framework makes agency-specific rules redundant.

Federal Tort Claims Act regulations for Peace Corps, establishing procedures for claims against the agency for negligence by employees, including filing requirements, evidence standards, investigation procedures, and settlement authority up to $5,000 with DOJ approval needed for larger claims

Creates bureaucratic administrative process that delays justice and increases government liability exposure. Private sector liability insurance and courts can handle these claims more efficiently without federal regulatory overhead

Designates specific FAA officials authorized to receive legal service of process in any proceeding concerning the FAA, and outlines their authority to acknowledge service, handle testimony requests, and produce agency records.

Deletion would create legal uncertainty about proper service recipients, risking dismissed lawsuits and procedural inefficiencies. This minimal rule ensures orderly administration of justice without imposing costs on the public.

Prescribes federal noise standards for aircraft type certificates and airworthiness certifications, covering transport category airplanes, jets, propeller-driven aircraft, helicopters, and tiltrotors. Establishes Stage 1-5 noise limits with varying effective dates (1969-2020), incorporates international ICAO standards by reference, and sets detailed compliance requirements for new certifications and design modifications.

Imposes significant compliance costs that disadvantage small manufacturers and raise barriers to entry, while federalizing a problem better handled by states, localities, or market mechanisms. The complex, multi-layered staging system adds to the $2 trillion regulatory burden and the 185,000-page Code of Federal Regulations, undermining knowability of law. Noise externalities could be addressed more efficiently through tort liability, local zoning, and airport-specific standards, allowing tailored solutions rather than one-size-fits-all mandates that protect incumbents from competition.

Regulates testing, sampling, and release standards for biological products (vaccines, antitoxins, etc.) to ensure purity, safety, potency, and efficacy before market distribution

Americans would be worse off without these safety and efficacy standards for biological products, which prevent contaminated or ineffective vaccines from reaching the market and protect public health from biological threats

This NHTSA regulation imposes detailed procedural requirements on foreign motor vehicle manufacturers for designating a U.S.-based agent for service of process, including specific paper dimensions (9x14 inches), margin requirements, original ink signatures only, no electronic submission, mandatory English translations with certified translators, and agent qualifications limited to U.S. permanent residents or domestic entities. The rule prohibits imports without a designated agent.

The regulation's excessive procedural burdens—arbitrary formatting rules, signature restrictions, mail-only submission, and protectionist agent requirements—impose significant hidden costs without improving safety. These requirements increase vehicle prices for American consumers, create barriers to entry for foreign manufacturers, and protect domestic automakers from competition. The costs of compliance represent a tax exceeding any marginal benefit, while the domestic-agent mandate serves no legitimate purpose beyond bureaucratic preference and economic nationalism. Such regressive formalism violates principles of limited government, free enterprise, and knowable law.

This regulation establishes comprehensive safety standards for motor carriers transporting migrant agricultural workers across state lines, including driver qualifications (age 21+, physical fitness, English proficiency), vehicle equipment requirements (brakes, lighting, passenger compartments), hours-of-service limits (10 hours driving/8 hours rest), and inspection/maintenance protocols. It applies to trips exceeding 75 miles.

Imposes substantial compliance costs on small carriers that serve remote agricultural areas, creating barriers to entry and reducing competition. These one-size-fits-all federal mandates duplicate general commercial vehicle safety regulations while adding migrant-specific requirements that inflate transportation costs, ultimately borne by workers and farmers. The regulation also intrudes on state authority over local labor and transportation issues, and its prescriptive standards preclude market-driven safety innovations.

Comprehensive hours-of-service regulations for commercial motor vehicle drivers, establishing maximum driving times, mandatory rest periods, and numerous industry-specific exemptions to ensure safety while accommodating operational needs

These regulations impose massive compliance costs on trucking industry ($2+ billion annually), create unnecessary paperwork burden, and interfere with free market pricing of driver services. Safety concerns are better addressed through insurance markets and liability rather than prescriptive federal rules that distort supply and raise consumer prices.

Establishes minimum safety standards for commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce, covering equipment specifications, cargo securement, and lighting requirements. Incorporates numerous private industry standards (SAE, ASTM, etc.) by reference and applies to motor carriers and intermodal equipment providers.

Imposes substantial compliance costs that fall disproportionately on small carriers, violating principles of limited government and economic liberty. Federal preemption prevents state-level innovation and experimentation. Incorporation by reference cedes regulatory authority to private industry groups, creating barriers to entry and potential regulatory capture. The unseen consequences include reduced competition, higher consumer costs, and the moral hazard that government-mandated standards may displace more efficient market-based safety mechanisms like insurance underwriting and tort liability.

Comprehensive safety regulations for interstate commercial motor vehicles covering driver conduct (drugs, alcohol, hours, texting), vehicle standards (inspection, maintenance, cargo securement), operational rules (railroad crossings, hazardous materials, passenger transport), and licensing/authority requirements.

Deletion would expose the public to heightened risks from large commercial vehicles, imposing severe externalities. Uniform federal standards are essential for interstate trucking; market mechanisms and state regulations alone cannot adequately protect third parties. The rules directly prevent catastrophic harms (impaired driving, fatigue, cargo shift, train collisions) in a way that would be difficult to replicate through less centralized approaches.

Federal Railroad Administration regulations establishing signal and train control systems requirements for railroad safety, including PTC implementation, track circuit maintenance, and signal apparatus standards.

These regulations impose massive compliance costs on railroads while creating bureaucratic barriers that protect established players from competition. The detailed technical requirements for signal systems, track circuits, and maintenance create a regulatory labyrinth that small railroads cannot navigate, effectively raising barriers to entry and preserving monopolistic structures in the rail industry.

Federal Railroad Administration regulations governing safety equipment specifications for railroad cars, including handbrakes, ladders, handholds, sill steps, running boards, and uncoupling levers with detailed dimensional and placement requirements for different car types (box cars, high-side cars, low-side cars).

Excessive micromanagement of railroad car design creates unnecessary compliance costs and stifles innovation. Private railroads have strong incentives to ensure safety without federal bureaucrats dictating exact bolt sizes, ladder tread dimensions, and handhold placement. The market and tort liability would achieve safer outcomes at lower cost.

Procedural framework for maritime subsidy applications, Great Lakes vessel designations, and recordkeeping requirements for contractors receiving Maritime Administration subsidies.

Enforces corporate welfare that distorts markets, raises barriers to entry, and imposes costly paperwork. The subsidy program itself is unconstitutional wealth transfer from taxpayers to politically connected maritime interests, with compliance burdens falling disproportionately on small operators.

Comprehensive maritime safety regulations covering vessel operations, equipment requirements, navigation aids, emergency procedures, and personnel responsibilities for all vessels except as specifically noted.

This massive regulatory framework creates excessive compliance costs, stifles maritime innovation, and imposes federal control over areas better managed by states or private industry. The 185,000+ pages of CFR create a labyrinth that no one can fully comprehend, violating the principle that laws must be knowable. Small maritime businesses face disproportionate compliance burdens that protect large incumbents. Many requirements duplicate state/local regulations or represent federal overreach into traditionally state-regulated domains.

Comprehensive maritime safety regulations covering vessel equipment, systems, and operations including anchors, navigation equipment, breathing apparatus, firefighting gear, pilot boarding equipment, and portable structures. Applies to vessels of various sizes and service types with specific requirements for construction, maintenance, and inspection.

Creates excessive compliance costs for maritime industry while imposing one-size-fits-all safety standards that may not account for vessel-specific risk profiles. The regulatory burden disproportionately affects smaller operators and stifles innovation in vessel design and safety technology. Market-driven liability and insurance mechanisms would better align safety incentives with actual risk.