Browse regulations

Regulation establishes rules for Smithsonian Institution property covering public access, property protection, conduct standards, prohibited activities (gambling, substances, solicitation), signage restrictions, animal policies, photography limits, vehicle rules, weapons bans, and non-discrimination requirements. Violations carry fines up to $5,000 and/or imprisonment up to 5 years.

Americans would be worse off because this regulation provides the legal framework necessary for the Smithsonian to protect national treasures, ensure public safety, maintain orderly operations, and guarantee equal access to these public facilities. Without it, the Institution would lack clear authority to control access during emergencies, prevent damage to priceless exhibits, prohibit dangerous conduct, and enforce non-discrimination—all functions difficult to replicate through less formal means while maintaining consistent standards across all Smithsonian properties.

A collection of Corps of Engineers regulations covering public meetings of the Mississippi River Commission, authorization for offshore structures, coordination with power marketing agencies, and protection of federal works. The rules establish procedures for transparency, interagency coordination, compliance conditions, and enforcement.

The regulations impose significant compliance costs on agencies and private actors, create barriers to entry, and include obsolete provisions that add to regulatory clutter. They stifle market-driven innovation and flexibility while the benefits of transparency and safety could be achieved through less coercive means like private ordering and existing tort law.

This regulation governs private aids to maritime navigation in U.S. waters, establishing a permitting system where private entities must obtain Coast Guard approval before establishing, maintaining, or modifying navigation aids. It classifies aids into three categories based on legal obligation and usage, sets technical standards for lights and equipment, and creates a framework for state-level regulation of certain waterways.

This regulation creates a massive federal bureaucracy controlling private navigation aids that should be handled by private entities and states. The $2 trillion+ annual regulatory compliance burden demonstrates how federal micromanagement of maritime navigation raises costs, creates barriers to entry, and protects established players while offering minimal public safety benefits that could be achieved through voluntary standards and market mechanisms.

This regulation establishes the Gold and Silver Lifesaving Medal program by the U.S. Coast Guard, defining eligibility for heroic water rescues, application procedures with affidavit requirements, medal specifications, and replacement policies.

Deleting this would eliminate a standardized federal honor for heroic lifesaving acts within the Coast Guard's maritime jurisdiction; ad hoc recognition would be inconsistent and diminish the prestige of honoring rescuers, while the regulation's clear criteria ensure uniform recognition of bravery.

This DoD regulation designates the Secretary of the Army as Executive Agent for coordinating defense transportation needs with civilian highway programs. It establishes procedures for integrating military highway requirements into state and federal planning, certifying defense needs to the Bureau of Public Roads, coordinating vehicle design standards, and providing traffic engineering services to support national defense mobility.

This is an internal coordination mechanism for legitimate national defense functions, not a regulation imposing costs on the public. Deleting it would fragment military-civilian transportation planning, potentially compromising readiness and rapid mobilization capabilities. The regulation serves a core federal constitutional function (providing for the common defense) through efficient coordination rather than creating compliance burdens or market distortions for private citizens and businesses.

Regulations governing conduct, access, and security on Treasury Building and Annex property in Washington DC, including hours, prohibited activities (disorderly conduct, gambling, weapons, solicitation), photography rules, vehicle regulations, and penalties up to $50 fine/30 days imprisonment.

These rules legitimately maintain security and order for a critical federal facility handling sensitive financial operations. Deleting them would undermine Treasury's ability to control access, protect personnel, and ensure uninterrupted government functions. The regulation is narrowly tailored to the unique needs of this federal property and provides clear, uniform standards that would be difficult to replicate through piecemeal alternatives.

Authorizes Secret Service and customs officers to seize gold for violations of the Gold Reserve Act of 1934 and establishes forfeiture procedures based on gold value thresholds ($2,500), with custody and reporting requirements.

This regulation is an obsolete relic of the gold confiscation era that violates property rights by enabling seizure of gold for mere possession. The underlying restrictions have been repealed; keeping it creates legal uncertainty, compliance costs, and potential for abuse without any current public benefit.

Authorizes Secret Service officers to seize vessels, vehicles, and aircraft related to counterfeiting violations, and establishes administrative procedures for custody, forfeiture, and disposition of seized property through Customs Bureau coordination.

This specialized enforcement mechanism serves a unique national security function - counterfeiting threatens the monetary system and economic stability. The administrative procedures ensure proper handling of seized property while maintaining coordination between federal agencies for effective enforcement.

This regulation implements Executive Order 10096 to establish Treasury Department procedures for determining government rights to employee inventions, including internal reporting requirements, determination processes, and appeal mechanisms for patent rights and cash awards.

This regulation creates unnecessary bureaucratic overhead for federal employee inventions, adding compliance costs and administrative complexity without clear public benefit. The government already has constitutional authority to claim inventions made with public resources, and this layer of Treasury-specific procedures merely duplicates existing Patent Office regulations while creating potential delays and legal uncertainties for inventors.

MSHA regulations for approval and certification of electrically operated machines and accessories for use in gassy mines/tunnels. Requires explosive-proof enclosures, flame-resistant components, rigorous testing, documentation, quality control, and marking standards to prevent ignition of methane-air mixtures. Covers application procedures, fee structure, acceptance of international standards with modifications, and certification components.

Americans would be far worse off without this regulation because mining environments contain explosive methane concentrations where a single electrical spark can cause catastrophic explosions killing dozens of miners. The market fails here: individual mining companies face intense cost pressures and may underinvest in truly explosion-proof equipment, externalizing catastrophic risks onto workers and communities. Once a methane explosion occurs, the consequences are irreversible—lives cannot be replaced. The regulatory costs, while nontrivial, are proportionate to preventing existential threats. State-level regulation would create inconsistent standards and a race-to-the-bottom, while voluntary industry standards lack enforceable teeth. This regulation achieves a safety outcome impossible through market mechanisms because the benefits (lives saved) outweigh concentrated compliance costs, yet those bearing the risks (miners) cannot negotiate safer equipment themselves.

Establishes ethics requirements, conduct standards, and disciplinary procedures for employees of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). Includes designation of an ethics counselor, prohibition on lobbying with federal funds, reference to criminal statutes, and outlines reprimand/suspension/demotion/separation processes.

The regulation ensures integrity and public trust in a neutral labor mediation service. Deleting it would risk conflicts of interest, misuse of funds, and breaches of confidentiality that could undermine the agency's effectiveness. Compliance costs are minimal given the agency's small size, and the ethics framework is essential for maintaining impartiality in high-stakes labor disputes.

This regulation (29 CFR Part 778) implements the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime provisions, defining regular rate calculations, workweek standards, fluctuating workweek methods, and applying to nonexempt employees. It specifies overtime pay requirements and exempts certain payments from the regular rate.

Federal wage and hour mandates violate freedom of contract, impose massive compliance costs ($2T+), disproportionately harm small businesses, create barriers to entry for low-skilled workers, and distort labor markets through price controls. The Constitution does not authorize federal regulation of private employment terms; these powers belong to states under the Tenth Amendment. Unseen consequences include reduced hiring, increased automation, and expanded informal economy.

Establishes administrative procedures for investigating and sanctioning former Department of Labor employees (who left between July 1979 and December 1990) for violations of post-employment restrictions under 18 U.S.C. 207. Includes reporting to the Solicitor, hearings before an Administrative Law Judge, possible appearance bans up to five years, and judicial review.

The regulation is obsolete, applying only to former employees who left over three decades ago. It serves no current purpose and creates dead-weight regulatory clutter that could cause confusion or misapplication. Post-employment restrictions are already covered by criminal statutes and OPM regulations, making this redundant and a waste of administrative resources.

Federal regulations implementing the Gun Control Act of 1968, governing interstate commerce in firearms and ammunition, licensing requirements for manufacturers, importers, dealers, and collectors, and establishing prohibited persons categories and recordkeeping requirements.

This regulatory framework creates a federal bureaucracy that violates the Second Amendment's clear prohibition on government infringement of the right to keep and bear arms. The compliance costs, licensing requirements, and prohibited persons categories represent an unconstitutional federal intrusion into a fundamental right that should be protected, not regulated. Small businesses face disproportionate compliance burdens while the regulations fail to prevent crime but succeed in creating a black market and criminalizing peaceful gun owners.

This regulation requires the Asian Development Bank to file financial reports and disclosures with the SEC regarding its primary obligations, including quarterly reports, annual reports, and detailed information about debt distributions in the US market.

This is a redundant regulatory burden on a multilateral development bank that already has international reporting obligations. The SEC oversight adds no meaningful consumer protection benefit while imposing compliance costs that ultimately reduce funds available for development projects in Asia.