,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aibj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bg1 #bjba
 ,mr4 ,braun 7for himself1 ,mr4         
,barrasso1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,mr4       
,cramer1 ,mr4 ,crapo1 ,ms4 ,lummis1 ,mr4
 ,risch1 ,mr4 ,scott of ,florida1 ,mr4  
,lankford1 ,mr4 ,hawley1 and ,mr4 ,scott
 of ,south ,carolina7 introduced the    
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide      
procedures for appealing certain ,bureau
 of ,alcohol1 ,tobacco1 ,firearms and   
,explosives rulings or determinations1  
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,,atf ,accountability ,act of #bjba4    
#b4 ,procedures for appealing certain   
,bureau of ,alcohol1 ,tobacco1 ,firearms
 and ,explosives rulings or             
determinations  7a7 ,in general ,section
 #ibc of title #ah1 ,united ,states     
,code1 is amended by adding at the end  
the following3  7m7  7#a7 ,if a licensed

 manufacturer1 licensed importer1 or    
licensed dealer transmits to the        
,attorney ,general a product            
classification request or a written     
question regarding any regulatory       
matter1 including the legal status or   
classification of a product1 or a       
recordkeeping practice1 under any law   
administered1 in whole or in part1 by   
the ,bureau of ,alcohol1 ,tobacco1      
,firearms and ,explosives1 the ,attorney
 ,general shall1 not later than #ij days
 after receipt of the request or        
question1 make a ruling or determination
 in writing on the question1 and        
transmit the ruling or determination to 
the licensee4  7#b7 7,a7 ,within #cj    
calendar days after receipt of a copy of
 the ruling or determination1 the       
licensee may appeal the ruling or       
determination 7or a cease and desist    
letter7 by filing with any ,director of 
,industry ,operations having            
jurisdiction over a premises of the     
licensee subject to a license issued to 

the licensee under this chapter a       
request for review of the ruling or     
determination1 which shall include a    
statement of the reasons for the appeal1
 and the relief requested4  7,b7 ,within
 #cj calendar days after receipt of the 
request for the appeal1 the ,director of
 ,industry ,operations shall render a   
decision on the appeal in writing and   
transmit a copy of the decision to the  
licensee1 at which point the licensee   
may request a hearing pursuant to       
paragraph 7#c74  7#c7 7,a7 ,within #ad  
days after receipt from the licensee of 
a request for the appeal to be          
determined on the record after          
opportunity for a hearing1 the ,director
 of ,industry ,operations shall refer   
the request to an administrative law    
judge who shall--  7i7 set a time and   
place for a hearing on the appeal at a  
location convenient to the licensee2 and
  7ii7 at least #aj days before the date
 set for the hearing1 serve on the      
licensee and the ,director of ,industry 

,operations a notice of the hearing4    
7,b7 ,the hearing shall be conducted in 
accordance with the hearing procedures  
prescribed in subsections 7b7 through   
7e7 of section #eef and section #eeg7;d7
 of title #e4  7,c7 ,within a reasonable
 time1 and as expeditiously as possible1
 after the conclusion of the hearing1   
the administrative law judge shall--    
7i7 render a decision on the appeal1    
which shall consist of-- 7,i7 a brief   
statement of the issues of fact involved
 in the proceeding2  7,,ii7 the findings
 and conclusions of the administrative  
law judge1 and the reasons or basis     
therefor with record references1 on all 
material issues of fact1 law1 or        
discretion presented on the record2 and 
7,,iii7 the decision of the             
administrative law judge to reverse or  
affirm the ruling or determination      
involved2  7ii7 certify to the complete 
record of the proceeding2  7iii7 forward
 the complete certified record and a    
copy of the decision to the ,director of

 ,industry ,operations2  7iv7 serve a   
copy of the decision on the licensee or 
counsel for the licensee2 and  7v7      
transmit a copy of the decision to the  
attorney representing the ,united       
,states in the proceeding4  7#d7 ,the   
decision of the administrative law judge
 or the ,director of ,industry          
,operations1 or the ruling of another   
officer or employee of the ,bureau of   
,alcohol1 ,tobacco1 ,firearms and       
,explosives1 as the case may be1        
pursuant to this subsection shall-- 7,a7
 constitute final agency action2  7,b7  
be subject to judicial review under     
chapter #g of title #e2 and  7,c7 be    
binding on the ,united ,states and the  
licensee4  4  7b7 ,applicability ,the   
amendment made by subsection 7a7 shall  
apply with respect to determinations    
made before1 on1 or after the date of   
enactment of this ,act4