ATF Unveils Proposed Rule Changes Meant to Help Law Enforcement, Gun Owners

The 34 changes will be more amendments than the ATF has issued in the last 15 years combined.

A firearm sound suppressor, commonly referred to as a silencer, is displayed during the National Rifle Association's annual meeting at the George R. Brown Convention Center, in Houston on May 28, 2022. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is proposing to roll back and modify gun regulations in an attempt to benefit law enforcement and gun owners

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche introduced the 34 proposed policy changes at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) at an April 29 press conference, saying, “President [Donald] Trump has been clear on this from Day 1, the Second Amendment is not negotiable.”

The changes will usher in a shift in firearm policy, supported by Second Amendment advocates, with more rule changes than the ATF has issued in the last 15 years combined.

Included in the proposal is the rescinding of the brace stabilization rule, which reclassified many pistols equipped with brace attachments as short-barreled rifles under the National Firearms Act. This required registration and additional regulations.  

Another proposed change will be to roll back the “engaged in the business” rule. Prior to this announcement, the rule was expanded to apply business standards to anyone who sells guns with the intent of making a profit, rather than those who sell firearms with the intent of making that business their livelihood.

The acting head of the DOJ also lauded changes being made to digital record-keeping at the ATF, and the modernization of rules about how records are sourced. 

Blanche repeatedly tied the package of changes to the protection of gun owners’ rights, saying, “President Trump, this administration, this newly confirmed director of the ATF, views the Second Amendment as nothing other than one of the most important amendments in our Constitution. It’s not a second-class amendment. And so the regulations that we’re adjusting today reflect ... those policies.”

The acting attorney general also stressed that the changes are not taking tools away from police, but rather will support law enforcement: “We are not taking tools away from the people, the men and women who go after violent criminals. ... If anything, what we’re doing today will actually help law enforcement, because clearer rules mean better compliance, and better compliance means better enforcement.”

The package will next be published in the Federal Register, after which there will be an open public comment period, consistent with the Administrative Procedure Act. 

This will allow time for industry stakeholders, law enforcement, advocacy groups, and the general public to submit feedback. The ATF will hold stakeholder briefings and speak to affected groups about the details. Following the review of comments, the ATF and DOJ may refine the proposals before they are finalized.

Gun control advocates have spoken out against the rule changes, saying the administration is bowing to Second Amendment advocates, loosening regulations and possibly putting Americans in danger.

“Four days after the nation watched gunfire break out at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the Trump administration’s answer is to gut common-sense gun safety laws and sabotage the only federal agency dedicated to keeping guns out of criminal hands,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Trump’s enablers in Congress will have nowhere to hide when gun safety voters head to the polls this November—and accountability is coming.”

Blanche also announced the confirmation of former Deputy Director Robert Cekada as the new director of the ATF.

Cekada said he sees the changes working in accordance with the ATF’s mission: “In today’s package, you will see 34 clear, common-sense regulations that rescind, modernize or clarify language within the National Firearms Act, the Gun Control Act, and more. We are proposing to remove unnecessary hurdles that were standing in the way of law-abiding citizens and businesses.”

Michael Clements contributed to this report.