Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In response to a request filed on behalf of several industry members, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is reopening the comment period for Notice No. 95, a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on June 22, 2009. The proposed rule seeks comments on a concurrently published temporary rule implementing permit requirements for manufacturers and importers of processed tobacco and an expansion of the definition of roll-your-own tobacco adopted in the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. The text of the regulations contained in the temporary rule serves as the text of the proposed regulations.

Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is issuing a temporary rule implementing certain provisions of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA). The text of the regulations in the temporary rule published in the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register serves as the text of the proposed regulations.

The Department of Justice is amending the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (``ATF'') to delegate to the Director of ATF the authority to serve as the deciding official regarding the denial, suspension, or revocation of federal firearms licenses, or the imposition of a civil fine. The Director will have the flexibility to delegate to another ATF official the authority to decide a revocation or denial matter, or may exercise that authority himself. Such flexibility will allow ATF to more efficiently decide denial, suspension, and revocation hearings and also whether to impose a civil fine, because the Director can redelegate to Headquarters officials, field officials, or some combination thereof, authority to take action as the final agency decision maker. This will give the agency the ability to ensure consistency in decision making and to address any case backlogs that may occur. The interim rule will remain in effect until superseded by final regulations.

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 841(d) and 27 CFR 555.23, the Department must publish and revise at least annually in the Federal Register a list of explosives determined to be within the coverage of 18 U.S.C. 841 et seq. The list covers not only explosives, but also blasting agents and detonators, all of which are defined as explosive materials in 18 U.S.C. 841(c). This notice publishes the 2008 List of Explosive Materials.