NFA Amnesty: A tool
for the Trump Administration

President Trump has a tool to push for the passage of legislation, such as the hearing protection act. The executive branch, specifically the Secretary of the Treasury, can unilaterally declare an amnesty for people to register NFA items with the ATF. The Congress passed the Gun Control Act of 1968, under enormous pressure from President Lyndon B. Johnson, in 1968. At the same time, the Congress passed a statute authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to declare amnesties to allow people to register items covered by the act.

There are limitations. A single amnesty cannot last for longer than 90 days. The Secretary of the Treasury must announce the amnesty in the Federal Register before the amnesty takes effect. From PUBLIC LAW 90-619-OCT. 22, 1968, found on page 1236 of United States Statutes at Large Volume 82.djvu/1278:

(d) The Secretary of the Treasury, after publication in the Federal Register of his intention to do so, is authorized to establish such periods of amnesty, not to exceed ninety days in the case of any single period, and immunity from liability during any such period, as the Secretary determines will contribute to the purposes of this title. TITLE III — AMENDMENTS TO TITLE VII OF THE OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL AND SAFE STREETS ACT OF 1968

The law does not appear to have been altered or repealed since 1968. The first amnesty was for only 30 days. No other amnesty has been put in place, which this author knows of, since that time. .....