Stanford Analyzes 500M Words of Statutes: CA Reporting Requirements Grew 400%

StanfordHAI · x · 2026-07-24

Researchers from Stanford HAI and RegLab analyzed over 500 million words of state statutes across all 50 US states, revealing that bureaucratic red tape is a much larger problem than anticipated.

Data shows that reporting requirements in California alone grew by 400% from 2000 to 2025. Even more alarmingly, an estimated 30% of recurring reports may never actually be filed. The research aims to use data-driven, human-centered analysis to identify which processes truly serve the public and which ones trap civil servants and citizens in bureaucracy.

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