,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fjg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #bb1        
#bjbe,mr4 ,crenshaw 7for himself1 ,mr4  
,cuellar1 ,mr4 ,moore of ,alabama1 ,ms4 
,van ,duyne1 and ,mr4 ,van ,orden7      
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide      
procedures for appealing certain ,bureau
 of ,alcohol1 ,tobacco1 ,firearms1 and  
,explosives rulings or determinations1  
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,,atf ,accountability ,act of #bjbe4    
#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 but not limited to the
 legal status or classification of a    
product1 regulated business practice1 or
 a recordkeeping practice1 under any law
 administered1 in whole or in part1 by  
the ,bureau of ,alcohol1 ,tobacco1      
,firearms1 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  
licensee4  7#c7 7,a7 ,notwithstanding   
whether the licensee appeals the ruling 
or determination to the ,director of    
,industry ,operations1 the licensee may1
 within #ge calendar days after receipt 
of a copy of the initial ruling or      
determination or1 within #ad days after 
receipt of the determination by the     
,director of ,industry ,operations1     
which ever is later1 request for the    
appeal to be determined on the record   
after opportunity for a hearing before  
an administrative law judge4 ,upon such 
request the administrative law judge    
shall--  7i7 set a time and place for a 
hearing on the appeal at a location     
convenient to the licensee within #ij   

days from the date of the request2 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 #ij days    
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 ,firearms1 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  7#e7 ,the submission of an   
administrative appeal pursuant to       
paragraph 7#b7 or 7#c7 shall postpone   
the effective date of the ruling or     
determination until the administrative  

appeal and any subsequent judicial      
process is complete4 ,the effect shall  
be as if the ruling or determination had
 not issued until such process is       
complete4  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