Insight

Tracking Regulatory Modernization in the Trump Administration

With the signature of a landmark executive order establishing a regulatory budget in the U.S., and the goal of $0 net regulatory costs for the remainder of the fiscal year, regulatory modernization is front-and-center in domestic policy. Congress has also pledged to significantly reform the administrative state and has already repealed several last-minute regulations from President Obama under the Congressional Review Act (CRA).

The chart below tracks the progress of regulatory modernization during the Trump Administration. Every CRA measure signed into law and all rulemakings that reduce paperwork hours or costs will be available below (and updated weekly). This reflects data from 2017 onward and all figures are from benefit-costs analyses provided by federal agencies, available at RegRodeo.com. To date, Congress and the administration have repealed regulations with an estimated $4.1 billion in total net present value costs and 44.7 million hours of paperwork. The paperwork figures are annual and the net present value figure represents the total cost during the life of the rule, according to the regulation’s regulatory impact analysis. Some rules estimate a rulemaking horizon over 30 years, but for others, only the initial first-year cost is provided. For rulemaking actions that only partially repeal past regulations, AAF uses the deregulatory rulemaking’s estimates (rather than the original regulation’s estimates). The annual cost savings from CRA resolutions is $1.1 billion. The potential annual cost savings for all rulemakings below equals $21.8 billion. Combined with further executive actions and formal delays, the amount of affected regulation could rise to $71.6 billion (net present value) and more than 64 million hours of paperwork.

Completed Actions

Regulation Cost Paperwork Hours Action
SNAP: Eligibility, Certification -$286 million -40,531,435 Rulemaking
Alternative Pilot Examination -$42.4 million Rulemaking
Gas Order Number 1 -$7 million 29,400 Rulemaking
Paperwork Reduction Amendments -1,385 Rulemaking
Amendments to Capital Plans -110,378 Rulemaking
Fiduciary Delay -$78 million Rulemaking
Market Stabilization Rulemaking
Delay of Menu Labeling Rule -$8 million Rulemaking
Temporary Lodging -$1.99 million Rulemaking
Labeling Relief; Formaldehyde Emission Standards Rulemaking
Error Rate Measurement Programs in Response to the Affordable Care Act -$8.4 million 174,730 Rulemaking
Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System -$2.6 million -36,879 Rulemaking
Resource Extraction Issuers -$1.29 billion -217,408 CRA Resolution
Coal Mining Rule -$1.2 billion -218,457 CRA Resolution
Contractor Blacklisting Rule -$872 million -2,171,320 CRA Resolution
NICS Improvement Amendments Act CRA Resolution
Resource Management Planning -1,965 CRA Resolution
Teacher Preparation Issues -$278 million -732,289 CRA Resolution
Accountability and State Plans -$73 million -936,451 CRA Resolution
Drug Testing of Unemployment Applicants CRA Resolution
Non-subsistence Take of Wildlife CRA Resolution
Accurate Records of Recordable Injuries CRA Resolution
Protecting the Privacy of Customers CRA Resolution
Saving Arrangements from Subdivisions CRA Resolution
Compliance with Title X Requirements -$0.02 million CRA Resolution
Saving Arrangements by States CRA Resolution
Updated Totals: $4.1 billion in total cost reductions and -44,784,760 hours


Executive Actions 

In addition, this project will track executive actions seeking regulatory rescissions and formal delays from the administration’s regulatory moratorium. The tables below will provide an ongoing tally of the original cost and paperwork estimates for both categories.

Regulation Cost Paperwork Hours Action
Fiduciary Rule $31.5 billion 56,833 Review
Clean Power Plan $11.9 billion 821,000 Review
CAFE: 2022-2025 $4.2 billion 5,667 Review
Natural Gas Flaring on Public Lands $1.8 billion 82,170 Review
Fracking Emissions Standards $890 million 98,438 Review
“Waters of the United States” $463 million Review
Fracking Standards on Federal Lands $50 million 50,758 Review
Federal Plan for Greenhouse Gases $1.7 million 17,133 Review
New Sources of Greenhouse Gases $0.06 million 651 Review
Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights 7,056 Review
Management of Oil and Gas Rights 18,122 Review
Gainful Employment $4.3 billion 6,925,627 Review
Totals: $55.1 billion in affected costs and potentially -8,083,455 hours

Notable Rule Delays

Regulation Cost Paperwork Hours Delay
Requirements for Vehicle Operators $3.6 billion 59,030 June 5, 2017
Conditions for Home Health Agencies $1.3 billion 4,462,805 January 13, 2018
Packers and Stockyards Rule $937 million October 19, 2017
Exposure to Beryllium $630 million 196,894 May 20, 2017
Organic Livestock Practices $370 million 132,078 November 14, 2017
Working in Metal and Nonmetal Mines $345 million 222,519 October 2, 2017
Confidentiality of Patient Records $241 million 457,482 March 21, 2017
Risk Management Programs under CAA $131 million 1,778,244 June 19, 2017
Formaldehyde Emission Standards $105 million 1,500,000 Withdrawn
Minimum Sound for Hybrids $42 million 42 September 5, 2017
Proposed Poultry Grower Ranking Systems $34 million March 24, 2017
Certification of Pesticide Applicators $31 million 1,853,118 June 5, 2017
Construction of Residential Buildings $13 million September 30, 2017
Products Made from Tobacco $2.8 million March 19, 2018
Effluent Limitations Guidelines $471 million November 1, 2018
Performance Management Measures $156 million 54,496 May 20, 2018
Municipal Solid Waste Landfills $6 million 91,087 August 29, 2017
Ozone $1.4 billion 339,930 October, 2018
Defense to Repayment $9.8 million 109,351 July 1, 2018
Interior Methane Waste Rule $1.8 billion 82,170 TBD
Oil and Gas Emission Standards $890 million 98,438 September, 2019
Totals: $12.2 billion in affected costs and potentially -11,215,165 hours

 

 

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