WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Monday, April 7th, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) officially repealed the Biden-era Federal Firearms Administrative Action Policy, more widely known as the "zero tolerance" policy.
According to HeadlineUSA, its repeal, spearheaded by the Trump administration, signals a sharp turn back toward gun rights and constitutional accountability. The policy was originally implemented to penalize gun dealers for even minor paperwork mistakes, which created widespread fear and instability across the firearms industry.
Under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi and acting ATF and FBI Director Kash Patel, the agencies also announced plans to formally review two other controversial rules: the stabilizing brace rule and the "engaged in the business" rule, which opponents argue were unconstitutional attempts to restrict lawful gun ownership and create de factor universal background checks.
The stabilizing brace rule attempted to categorize braced pistols as short-barreled rifles — subjecting them to the harsh restrictions of the National Firearms Act. The "engaged in business" rule blurred the lines between private firearms sales and commercial transactions, effectively criminalizing casual gun transfers.
Gun Owners of America (GOA), a key opponent of the zero tolerance policy, has long criticized the ATF's regulatory overreach under the Biden administration. GOA argues that the policy had nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with centralized control, particularly targeting law-abiding dealers and small businesses.
GOA's Senior Vice President, Erich Pratt, praised the Trump administration's decision saying, "For years, the zero tolerance policy has been a tool of political retribution — targeting gun stores and Americans who were simply trying to exercise their rights. We applaud President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, and Director Kash Patel for listening to gun owners and taking action to repeal this abusive policy. This is what pro-gun leadership looks like."
Elected officials such as Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX), praised FBI Director Kash Patel for reversing the ATF policies Biden presided over. He wrote on X, "This is the right move. Grateful to @FBIDirectorKash for shutting down these backdoor efforts to build a federal firearms registry — a direct threat to Americans' privacy and constitutional 2A rights."
Gun-control advocacy groups are not pleased with the repeal. Reuters reported that Emma Brown, executive director for the gun-control advocacy group Giffords said that the repeal could lead to spikes in crime. She said, "Putting gun dealers who break the law back in business will increase crime."
Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president of the NSSF, the Firearm Industry Trade Association, praised the decision to repeal the policy. He said, "This reckless policy throttled small businesses and drove many to shut down by threatening crippling administrative costs to fight against penalties for minor errors and infractions that were previously reconciled in good faith between ATF officials and law-abiding firearm retailers."
According to HeadlineUSA, its repeal, spearheaded by the Trump administration, signals a sharp turn back toward gun rights and constitutional accountability. The policy was originally implemented to penalize gun dealers for even minor paperwork mistakes, which created widespread fear and instability across the firearms industry.
Under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi and acting ATF and FBI Director Kash Patel, the agencies also announced plans to formally review two other controversial rules: the stabilizing brace rule and the "engaged in the business" rule, which opponents argue were unconstitutional attempts to restrict lawful gun ownership and create de factor universal background checks.
The stabilizing brace rule attempted to categorize braced pistols as short-barreled rifles — subjecting them to the harsh restrictions of the National Firearms Act. The "engaged in business" rule blurred the lines between private firearms sales and commercial transactions, effectively criminalizing casual gun transfers.
Gun Owners of America (GOA), a key opponent of the zero tolerance policy, has long criticized the ATF's regulatory overreach under the Biden administration. GOA argues that the policy had nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with centralized control, particularly targeting law-abiding dealers and small businesses.
GOA's Senior Vice President, Erich Pratt, praised the Trump administration's decision saying, "For years, the zero tolerance policy has been a tool of political retribution — targeting gun stores and Americans who were simply trying to exercise their rights. We applaud President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, and Director Kash Patel for listening to gun owners and taking action to repeal this abusive policy. This is what pro-gun leadership looks like."
Elected officials such as Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX), praised FBI Director Kash Patel for reversing the ATF policies Biden presided over. He wrote on X, "This is the right move. Grateful to @FBIDirectorKash for shutting down these backdoor efforts to build a federal firearms registry — a direct threat to Americans' privacy and constitutional 2A rights."
Gun-control advocacy groups are not pleased with the repeal. Reuters reported that Emma Brown, executive director for the gun-control advocacy group Giffords said that the repeal could lead to spikes in crime. She said, "Putting gun dealers who break the law back in business will increase crime."
Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president of the NSSF, the Firearm Industry Trade Association, praised the decision to repeal the policy. He said, "This reckless policy throttled small businesses and drove many to shut down by threatening crippling administrative costs to fight against penalties for minor errors and infractions that were previously reconciled in good faith between ATF officials and law-abiding firearm retailers."
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