BATF: Management Improvements Needed to Handle Increasing Responsibilities.

Recently, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms BATF participation in the war on drugs and in combating violent crime has added significance to its law enforcement mission. BATF has a second mission, however--enforcing compliance with the excise tax laws applying to the industries it regulates--and those responsibilities have also been increasing. Thus BATFs dilemma is how to effectively manage the increased duties and competing demands. Prepared in response to a request from the Subcommittee on Oversight, House Committee on Ways and Means, this report discusses how BATFs duties have changed and includes GAOs views on steps BATF could take to use its resources more efficiently.