The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is recodifying the regulations pertaining to the manufacture of tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes. The purpose of this recodification is to reissue the regulations in part 270 of title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations (27 CFR part 270) as 27 CFR part 40. This change improves the organization of title 27.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is amending the regulations to prescribe minimum height and depth requirements for identification markings placed on firearms by licensed importers and licensed manufacturers.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is recodifying the regulations pertaining to the rules of practice in permit proceedings.

This final rule amends the regulations governing tobacco products in order to implement several provisions of the Imported Cigarette Compliance Act of 2000 included as part of the Tariff Suspension and Trade Act of 2000. Sections 4002 and 4003 of this new law require that tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes manufactured in the United States and labeled or shipped for exportation (under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (IRC)) can only be re-imported by the original manufacturer or by an export warehouse proprietor authorized to do so by the original manufacturer  (except for a personal use exemption discussed below), provide that those articles labeled for exportation may not be sold or held for sale for domestic consumption in the United States unless they are removed from their export packaging and repackaged by the original manufacturer into new packaging that does not contain an export label, and require the destruction of tobacco products forfeited under section 5761(c) of the IRC. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is recodifying the regulations in part 295 - Removal of Tobacco Products and Cigarette Papers and Tubes, Without Payment of Tax for Use of the United States, title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

This final rule places with the ‘‘appropriate ATF officer’’ all ATF authorities contained in the Removal of Tobacco Products and Cigarette Papers and Tubes, Without Payment of Tax, for Use of the United States regulations and in the Miscellaneous Regulations Relating to Tobacco Products and Cigarette Papers and Tubes.

This final rule amends the regulations in part 20 of title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations by eliminating the requirement for users and dealers of specially denatured spirits (SDS) to file a bond.

This final rule places ATF authorities concerning the exportation of liquors with the ‘‘appropriate ATF officer’’ and requires that persons file documents required with the ‘‘appropriate ATF officer’’ or in accordance with the instructions for the ATF form.

This final rule places most ATF authorities contained in its Exportation of Tobacco Products and Cigarette Papers and Tubes, Without Payment of Tax, or With Drawback of Tax regulations with the ‘‘appropriate ATF officer’’.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is amending the regulations to implement the provisions of Public Law 103-159, relating to the permanent provisions of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. These regulations implement the law by requiring, with some exceptions, a licensed firearms importer, manufacturer, or dealer to contact the national instant criminal background check system (NICS) before transferring any firearm to an unlicensed individual. NICS will advise the licensee whether the system contains any information that the prospective purchaser is prohibited by law from possessing or receiving a firearm.

This final rule implements certain provisions of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-132).  These regulations implement the law by requiring detection agents for plastic explosives. The final rule also authorizes the use of four specific detection agents to mark plastic explosives and provides for the designation of other detection agents.

This document contains a correcting amendment to the temporary regulations, which were published in the Federal Register on December 22, 1999 (64 FR 71947) and on March 21, 2000 (65 FR 15058). The temporary regulations relate to implementing certain provisions of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 that set forth requirements that, beginning January 1, 2000, importers of tobacco products must qualify for a permit to conduct that activity.