Opinion ID: 525091
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Reasonableness of the Temporary Suspension

Text: 43 Having established that the Secretary has the authority to temporarily suspend the importation of semi-automatic assault rifles, we must determine the reasonableness of such action. In making this determination, we will defer to the Bureau's suspension unless we find it arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 706(2)(A) (1977).
44 By arguing that the imposition of the temporary suspension without conducting a hearing violates the Gun Control Act's and the Administrative Procedure Act's (APA) procedural rules, GSI essentially argues that the temporary suspension is otherwise not in accordance with law. The Government responds to this attack by arguing that the procedural provisions on which GSI relies do not apply to the temporary suspension. We find the Government's argument persuasive. 45 First, GSI argues that the imposition of the suspension without a hearing violates section 926(b) of the Act. Section 926(b) requires the Secretary to give notice and an opportunity to be heard prior to promulgating regulations. See 18 U.S.C.A. Sec. 926(b) (West Supp.1989). This section only applies when the Secretary engages in rulemaking. 46 The Bureau has not engaged in rulemaking, but has merely suspended certain firearms from importation while it individually reassesses several permit determinations. These activities which involve applying the law to the facts of an individual case, do not approach the function of rulemaking. See York v. Secretary of Treasury, 774 F.2d 417, 420 (10th Cir.1985) (classification of firearm as machine gun is not a rulemaking of any stripe.). Such a determination is more analogous to making a licensing decision which the APA classifies as an order rather than a rule. See 5 U.S.C. Secs. 551(6), (7) & (9) (defining licensing as agency process respecting the grant, renewal, denial, revocation, suspension, amendment, withdrawal, limitation, amendment ... of a license.). Thus, because these actions do not constitute rulemaking, the Bureau did not violate section 926(b). 47 Second, we reject GSI's argument that the Government violated the APA by imposing the suspension without a hearing. Under the APA, an agency must provide notice and an opportunity to respond before revoking a license. 5 U.S.C.A. Sec. 558 (1977). As discussed above, the Bureau has not revoked GSI's license or its permits; import suspension does not constitute rulemaking; therefore, the suspension does not violate the APA's procedural requirements. 48
49 Even if the Bureau's suspension does not specifically conflict with the Act or any other laws, GSI argues that the district court properly enjoined the Government's actions because the Bureau arbitrarily and capriciously imposed the suspension. GSI relies on two alternative grounds for reaching this conclusion: (1) the AUG-SA rifle has not physically changed and (2) the Bureau lacks any evidence to support its drastic actions. Neither prong of this argument has any merit. 50 Initially, we reject GSI's argument that the Bureau acted arbitrarily and capriciously by imposing the suspension because the AUG-SA rifle has not physically changed. This argument places too much emphasis on the rifle's structure for determining whether a firearm falls within the sporting purpose exception. While the Bureau must consider the rifle's physical structure, the Act requires the Bureau to equally consider the rifle's use. The term generally recognized in section 925(d)(3) suggests a community standard which may change over time even though the firearm remains the same. Thus, a changing pattern of use may significantly affect whether a firearm is generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to a sporting purpose. 51 In addition, the Bureau has interpreted section 925(d)(3) as requiring an inquiry of the firearms' actual use in addition to its physical characteristics. See Gilbert Equip. Co. v. Higgins, 709 F.Supp. 1071 (S.D.Ala.1989) (upholding Bureau's denial of permit despite its granting permits for similar firearms because Bureau changed its view of scope of sporting purposes). Because we find this interpretation reasonable, we defer to it. See Callaway, 763 F.2d at 1287 (requiring adherence to agency's construction of statute absent compelling indication of error). Thus, the temporary suspension is not arbitrary and capricious simply because the rifle has not changed. 52 We similarly find no merit in GSI's contention that the Bureau imposed the suspension in such a manner and so totally without evidence that we should not defer to the Government's action. See SEC v. Sloan, 436 U.S. 103 at 117-18, 98 S.Ct. 1702 at 1711-12, 56 L.Ed.2d 148 at 160-61 (1978) (one factor to be considered in giving weight to an administrative ruling is the thoroughness evident in its consideration, the validity of its reasoning, its consistency with earlier and later pronouncements, and all those factors which give it power to persuade, if lacking in power to control.). According to GSI, the following circumstances demonstrate that the Bureau made a hurried and uninformed decision: (1) the Bureau did not evaluate or deliberate the situation; (2) the Bureau did not have any data showing that imported semi-automatic rifles or the AUG-SA rifle contribute to crime; (3) the Bureau did not consult its experts who routinely identify sporting firearms; and (4) the Bureau made its decision without considering its legal obligations under the Act and its implementing regulations. 53 Contrary to this assertion, we believe that the Bureau adequately considered sufficient evidence before imposing the temporary suspension. In Director Higgins's declaration, he explains: (1) law enforcement agencies and officials reported a dramatic proliferation in the use of assault-type rifles in criminal activity; (2) the Bureau's tracings branch showed a 57-percent increase in traces of assault-type rifles recovered from crime scenes; (3) several highly publicized murders in which assault rifles were used indicate their increased use in criminal activity; and (4) the Bureau's statistics revealed the smuggling of substantial numbers of firearms out of this country for use in foreign crime. This evidence sufficiently supported the Bureau's reassessment of certain permits; therefore, the district court clearly erred in finding that the Government did not present any evidence indicating that the AUG-SA rifles may not have a generally recognized sporting purpose. 54 Because the Bureau issued permits to allow the importation of 640,000 rifles and had 136,000 applications pending for additional rifles, the Bureau could reasonably conclude that it needed to impose a temporary suspension to avoid a saturation of potentially illegal assault-type rifles. We emphasize that we are not reviewing the Bureau's revocation of the permits, but only its ninety-day suspension. Thus, the Government did not act arbitrarily and capriciously by imposing the temporary suspension while it conducts an accelerated review of its grant of several permits; rather, the Government acted reasonably to comply with its duty of prohibiting the importation of firearms under the Gun Control Act.