This week regulators published $164.7 million in total regulatory costs; there were $45 million in annualized burdens, compared to $32 million in benefits, and 191,000 paperwork hours. An oil pollution proposal and a poultry inspection final rule led the week.         

Regulatory Toplines

• New Proposed Rules: 37
• New Final Rules: 83
• 2014 Significant Documents: 417
• 2014 Total Pages of Regulation: 50,536
• 2014 Proposed Rules: $54.8 Billion
• 2014 Final Rules: $69 Billion

AAF has catalogued regulations according to their codification in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The CFR is organized into 50 titles, with each title corresponding to an industry or part of government. This snapshot will help to determine which sectors of the economy receive the highest number of regulatory actions.

The Coast Guard published a proposal to increase the liability for certain vessels and facilities under the Oil Pollution Act. The measure estimates 10-year present value costs of $133.5 million. Annualized costs are just $14.3 million. These costs stem partly from higher insurance premiums in the area.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service finalized a rule on poultry slaughter. The measure allows flexibility for businesses operating under either the “New Poultry Inspection System” or the existing requirements. The rule anticipates annual costs of $25 million, compared to $32 million in benefits. The agency notes, “This final rule is a result of the Agency’s 2011 regulatory review efforts conducted under Executive Order 13563 on Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review.” However, the proposed rule was first devised in 2008, according to administration records.

Affordable Care Act

There were no notable heath care rulemakings this week. Since passage, based on total lifetime costs of the regulations, the Affordable Care Act has imposed a cost of $27.5 billion in private-sector burdens, approximately $11.7 billion in costs to the states, and 162.1 million annual paperwork hours.

Dodd-Frank

Click here to view the total estimated compliance costs from Dodd-Frank; since passage, the legislation has produced more than 60.4 million paperwork burden hours and imposed $21.8 billion in direct compliance costs. Based on calculations from the Financial Services Roundtable, Dodd-Frank regulations would require 30,154 employees to file federal paperwork.

Total Burdens

Since January 1, the federal government has published $123.9 billion in compliance costs and has imposed 23.8 million in net paperwork burden hours. Click here for our comprehensive database of regulations and rulemakings promulgated in 2014.