HR 221 · 119th CongressIn Committee

Abolish the ATF Act

Latest updateJan 7, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor

Eric Burlison

Introduced

January 7, 2025

Latest action

January 7, 2025

Legislative Progress

How far this bill has traveled through Congress

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Plain-Language Summary

AI Generated

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) currently operates as a federal law enforcement agency within the Department of Justice, enforcing federal laws related to firearms, explosives, and alcohol and tobacco trafficking. Established in 1972, the ATF investigates violations of federal firearms statutes, regulates the firearms and explosives industries, and works with state and local law enforcement on criminal investigations. The agency maintains a licensing system for firearms dealers, manufacturers, and importers, and oversees compliance with federal explosives regulations. It also collects excise taxes on firearms and ammunition.

This bill abolishes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives entirely, eliminating the agency and its authority to enforce federal firearms, explosives, and alcohol and tobacco laws. The bill contains no provisions transferring ATF functions to other agencies, establishing replacement mechanisms, or specifying how existing regulatory responsibilities would be handled. No timeline for wind-down operations is specified, nor are there instructions regarding the disposition of ongoing investigations, licensing systems, or regulatory oversight currently managed by the agency.

The practical effects of abolishment would be immediate cessation of ATF operations, though the bill does not address how federal firearms licensing, explosives regulation, or law enforcement coordination would continue. Existing federal firearms statutes would remain on the books but lack an enforcement mechanism. State and local law enforcement agencies would inherit responsibility for investigating federal firearms crimes without federal coordination infrastructure. The federal excise tax collection system for firearms and ammunition would require restructuring or elimination. Congressional appropriations currently directed to the ATF would need reallocation or elimination.

Key Provisions

1Abolishes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as a federal agency within the Department of Justice.
2Eliminates all ATF authority to regulate firearms dealers, manufacturers, and importers through the federal licensing system.
3Removes federal enforcement mechanisms for laws governing explosives manufacturing, possession, and trafficking.
4Terminates ATF investigative operations and coordination with state and local law enforcement on firearms and explosives crimes.

★ Why this matters

Federal firearms licensing, explosives regulation, and law enforcement coordination would cease to exist as organized federal functions. Ongoing ATF investigations into firearms trafficking, explosives violations, and related crimes would be abandoned. The federal excise tax collection system for firearms and ammunition would require restructuring or elimination. Interstate coordination on firearms and explosives crimes would depend entirely on ad-hoc state and local cooperation without federal infrastructure. Federal statutes governing firearms and explosives would remain law but lack enforcement capacity.

● Who this affects

Federal law enforcement agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Secret Service that currently coordinate with the ATF on joint investigations; state and local police departments that rely on ATF support for firearms trafficking investigations; firearms dealers and manufacturers currently licensed and regulated by the ATF; explosives manufacturers and users subject to federal permitting; and communities affected by firearms trafficking and explosives crimes that depend on federal enforcement coordination.

Bill Text

View on Congress.gov

Show / hide bill text preview

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 221

  To abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 2025

   Mr. Burlison (for himself, Ms. Boebert, Mr. Biggs of Arizona, Mr. 
 Collins, Mr. Onder, Mr. Ogles, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mr. Self, and 
  Mr. Gosar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

                                 A BILL

 
  To abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Abolish the ATF Act''.

SEC. 2. ABOLISHMENT OF THE BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND 
              EXPLOSIVES.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is hereby 
abolished.
                                 <all>

Auto-Whip

Where House representatives currently stand

Built from official statements, public releases, and voting records where they exist. Members without enough evidence are marked as no position.

448 tracked

Support

444

No Position

Oppose

Support

Members whose public record points toward backing the bill.

No members in this group yet.

Opposition

Members whose public record points toward opposition.

Brendan Boyle

D-Pennsylvania · District 2

Strong opposition

Rep. Boyle is a Democrat from Pennsylvania who represents an urban district. The public record shows his focus on gun violence prevention (funding for Philadelphia Healthy and Safe Schools, violence-prevention funding) and community safety initiatives. The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) is the primary federal agency responsible for enforcing gun regulations and investigating gun crimes. Abolishing the ATF aligns with libertarian/conservative positions opposing gun regulation, which contradicts typical Democratic and urban representative stances on gun control. While no explicit statement about this specific bill appears in the provided content, his demonstrated priorities around public safety, community violence prevention, and his Democratic party affiliation strongly suggest opposition to dismantling federal gun enforcement infrastructure.

Abolish the ATF Act

Legislative Progress

Plain-Language Summary

Key Provisions

★ Why this matters

● Who this affects

Bill Text

Where House representatives currently stand

Support

Opposition

No Position

Take Action

Active Organizations

Abolish the ATF Act

Legislative Progress

Plain-Language Summary

Key Provisions

★ Why this matters

● Who this affects

Bill Text

Where House representatives currently stand

Support

Opposition

No Position

Take Action

Active Organizations