Changes In ATF Resulting From The Signing Of
The Homeland Security Bill
Two separate bureaus created

Washington, DC - On November 25, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Homeland Security Bill, which created a new Cabinet-level agency by consolidating a number of existing agencies and devoting them to making America safer and more secure.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) was not included as a part of that new agency. The Homeland Security Bill did, however, affect ATF directly, since part of the legislation provided for a split of ATF into two separate bureaus.

By January 24, 2003 (60 days after the Homeland Security Bill became law), one part of the existing ATF will be established in the Department of Justice as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This new bureau will oversee firearms, explosives and arson programs. The new Department of Justice bureau will also deal with the Federal criminal laws concerning alcohol and tobacco smuggling and diversion.

On the same day, a corresponding entity will be created to handle the regulatory and taxation aspects of the alcohol and tobacco industries. This will be known as the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), and will remain within the Treasury Department, where the current ATF and its predecessors have served honorably for some two hundred years.

ATF wishes to assure the public and our partners in law enforcement and the regulated industries that these moves have not been taken thoughtlessly.

The move of most of the existing ATF to the Justice Department makes sense, in that it would partner ATF special agents and inspectors with traditional law enforcement agencies. This, in turn, should work toward eliminating duplication and giving a stronger unity of direction toward federal law enforcement efforts. Similarly, revenue collection and regulation of the legitimate alcohol and tobacco industries remains a perfect fit within the Treasury Department.

Most important, though, is ATF's commitment to continue to serve the public in all these areas, and to do so with as little interruption as is possible. As ATF assembles its management teams to facilitate the transfer of program functions to their new homes, we recognize that we face some big changes in the future. We want to make sure, though, that those changes will not create any immediate problems for our industry and law enforcement partners.

Bradley Buckles, ATF's Director, may have said it best when he told employees on November 25, "while the new entities become official in 60 days, two physically separate and distinct units will not magically appear on that date. Almost everyone will be sitting in front of the same computer, behind the same desk, in the same office" on January 24. He added, "While rapidly moving to independent, self-sustaining structures will remain a goal, it will not be pursued at the expense of unnecessary disruption of employees or mission activities."