Final rule
Definition
A final rule is the completed version of a regulation an agency publishes in the Federal Register after reviewing public comments on its proposed rule. It includes the agency's responses to major comments and takes effect at least 30 days later, or 60 days if it is a significant or major rule.
Why it matters
The final rule is legally binding, unlike the proposal that preceded it, so its exact wording, effective date, and the agency's stated justification all become targets for litigation. Since Loper Bright ended Chevron deference in 2024, courts now independently decide whether a final rule's legal interpretation is correct rather than deferring to the agency, raising the stakes of how a rule is drafted and justified.
Seen in the wild
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service issued a final rule in 2025 raising the Economic Adjustment Assistance payment rate for domestic textile mills from three cents to five cents per pound, effective August 1, 2025, implementing a change enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.1