What is the Federal Register?

The daily journal of the US federal government. Agencies are legally required to publish rules and proposed rules in it, so it is the authoritative record of what the executive branch is doing.

What is the difference between a rule and a proposed rule?

A rule has been adopted and carries legal force from its effective date. A proposed rule is a draft published for public comment, which the agency must consider before issuing a final version.

Yes. It comes from The official Federal Register API, key-free. Nothing is invented or simulated, and if the source cannot be reached the saver reports that instead of drawing something plausible.

Does it cost anything or need an account?

No. Every screensaver here is free, runs in the browser and needs no sign-up. This one uses a public API that requires no key.

What are the main kinds of document in the Federal Register?

Each issue has four categories: Presidential Documents (such as executive orders and proclamations), Rules and Regulations, Proposed Rules, and Notices (such as public meeting notices and grant applications).

How often is the Federal Register published?

Every business day. The Office of the Federal Register in the National Archives publishes it, and the Government Publishing Office distributes it.

Does the register include laws passed by Congress?

Not the laws themselves. Signed bills are paginated by the Office of the Federal Register for the United States Statutes at Large. The Register does publish a List of Public Laws, giving each law’s number, name and approval date.

Published By Washington Today Screensaver

The Published By Washington Today screensaver streams the newest documents in the US Federal Register — rules, proposed rules, notices and presidential documents — in the order they were filed. It is the raw feed of American regulation, from airspace reclassifications to sanctions listings. It runs in the browser with nothing to install; press ESC to exit.

How the Published By Washington Today screensaver works

The saver reads The official Federal Register API, key-free.

No account and no key: the request goes straight from your browser, or from this site's own refreshed copy of the feed where the source does not allow browser access.

Values are drawn on a canvas that resizes with the window, so it works on a laptop or a wall display.

If the source is unreachable the saver says so on screen rather than showing stale numbers as though they were current.

The daily journal of US federal rulemaking

The Federal Register is the daily journal of the US federal government. The Office of the Federal Register, part of the National Archives and Records Administration, publishes it on every business day, and the Government Publishing Office distributes it in print and online. It carries agency regulations, proposed rules, public notices, executive orders, proclamations and other presidential documents. The Register’s public API exposes documents with fields such as title, type, abstract, publication date and issuing agencies.

The document type is the key to reading the display. Each issue is organised into four categories. Presidential Documents include executive orders and proclamations. Rules and Regulations include policy statements and interpretations of rules. Proposed Rules include petitions for rulemaking and other advance proposals. Notices include public meeting notices, grant applications and administrative orders. Many entries are routine administrative items rather than headline policy.

Nothing here measures how important a document is; a short notice about a meeting and a major regulation are both just documents in the day’s issue. Publication is also only one date in a document’s life, and other dates stated in the text, such as when a rule takes effect, can differ from the day it appeared. The Register is not the home of statutes: signed bills go to the Office of the Federal Register for the United States Statutes at Large.

A worked example

Each row carries a type badge in colour, the document title and the issuing agency. The badge is the useful part: a red RULE is already law, while an amber PROPOSED is an invitation to comment before it becomes one. NOTICE covers everything from meeting announcements to funding availability.

Settings & tips

Accent and Background recolour the display without changing the data.
Add it to a Multi-view grid to watch it alongside other live savers.
Press ESC at any time to leave fullscreen.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Federal Register?: The daily journal of the US federal government. Agencies are legally required to publish rules and proposed rules in it, so it is the authoritative record of what the executive branch is doing.
What is the difference between a rule and a proposed rule?: A rule has been adopted and carries legal force from its effective date. A proposed rule is a draft published for public comment, which the agency must consider before issuing a final version.
Is this real data?: Yes. It comes from The official Federal Register API, key-free. Nothing is invented or simulated, and if the source cannot be reached the saver reports that instead of drawing something plausible.
Does it cost anything or need an account?: No. Every screensaver here is free, runs in the browser and needs no sign-up. This one uses a public API that requires no key.
What are the main kinds of document in the Federal Register?: Each issue has four categories: Presidential Documents (such as executive orders and proclamations), Rules and Regulations, Proposed Rules, and Notices (such as public meeting notices and grant applications).
How often is the Federal Register published?: Every business day. The Office of the Federal Register in the National Archives publishes it, and the Government Publishing Office distributes it.
Does the register include laws passed by Congress?: Not the laws themselves. Signed bills are paginated by the Office of the Federal Register for the United States Statutes at Large. The Register does publish a List of Public Laws, giving each law’s number, name and approval date.

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