Title 27 published on 2011-04-01
The following are only the Rules published in the Federal Register after the published date of Title 27.
For a complete list of all Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices view the Rulemaking tab.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is amending the wine labeling regulations to allow the labeling of imported wines with multistate appellations of origin. This amendment provides treatment for imported wines similar to that currently available to domestic wines bearing multistate appellations. It also provides consumers with additional information regarding the origin of these wines.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau establishes the approximately 3,800 square-mile “Wisconsin Ledge” viticultural area in northeast Wisconsin. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.
This final rule establishes the 11,075-acre “Coombsville” viticultural area in Napa County, California. The viticultural area lies within the Napa Valley viticultural area and the multicounty North Coast viticultural area. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.
This Treasury decision establishes the 27,500-acre “Fort Ross-Seaview” viticultural area in the western part of Sonoma County, California. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.
This final rule establishes the 13,254-acre “Naches Heights” viticultural area in Yakima County, Washington. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.
This Treasury decision expands the Russian River Valley viticultural area in Sonoma County, California, by 14,044 acres, and the Northern Sonoma viticultural area in Sonoma County, California, by 44,244 acres. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.
This document adopts, as a final rule, a proposal to amend the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulations by adding a number of new names to the list of grape variety names approved for use in designating American wines, and to include in the list several separate entries for synonyms of existing entries so that readers can more readily find them. These amendments will allow bottlers of wine to use more grape variety names on wine labels and in wine advertisements.
This document establishes the 4,570-acre “Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak” viticultural area in portions of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties, California. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is adopting, as a final rule, regulations contained in a temporary rule pertaining to the semimonthly payments of excise tax on distilled spirits, wine, beer, tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes, and pertaining to the quarterly payment of alcohol excise tax by small taxpayers. This final rule action does not include those regulations contained in the temporary rule pertaining to part 19 of the TTB regulations, which were adopted as a final rule in a separate regulatory initiative.
This Treasury decision establishes the 665-square mile “Antelope Valley of the California High Desert” American viticultural area in Los Angeles and Kern Counties, California. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau published a final rule revising its distilled spirits plant regulations in the Federal Register of February 16, 2011 (76 FR 9080). That final rule contained several typographical and textual errors. This document corrects those errors.
The following are ALL rules, proposed rules, and notices (chronologically) published in the Federal Register relating to Title 27
In this document, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to amend its regulations setting forth the standards of identity for distilled spirits to include Pisco as a type of brandy that must be manufactured in accordance with the laws and regulations of either Peru or Chile, as appropriate, governing the manufacture of those products. This change will remove “Pisco brandy” from the list of examples of geographical designations in the distilled spirits standards of identity. This document also includes a technical correction to remove “Cognac” from the same list of examples. These changes will provide greater clarity in distilled spirits labeling.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is extending the comment period for Notice No. 124, Revisions to Distilled Spirits Plant Operations Reports and Regulations, a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on December 5, 2011. TTB is taking this action in response to a request from a distilled spirits industry association.
The Department of Justice is proposing to amend the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to extend the term of import permits for firearms, ammunition, and defense articles from 1 year to 2 years. The additional time will allow importers sufficient time to complete the importation of the authorized commodity. In addition, it will eliminate the need for the importer to submit a new import application, ATF Form 6, where the importation was not completed within the 1-year period. Extending the term of import permits will result in a substantial cost and time savings for both the industry and ATF. This proposed change would be consistent with Executive Order 13563 of January 18, 2011, which directs agencies to review existing significant rules to make regulatory programs more effective or less burdensome in achieving regulatory objectives.
The Department of Justice is proposing to amend the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) regarding administrative hearings held as part of firearms license proceedings. This proposed rule clarifies that such hearings are held in an informal setting and that persons requesting a hearing will be afforded the opportunity to submit facts, arguments, offers of settlement, or proposals of adjustment for review and consideration. The proposed regulations are intended to ensure that federal firearms licensees and persons applying for a federal firearms license are familiar with the hearing process relative to the denial, suspension, or revocation of a firearms license, or imposition of a civil fine.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is reopening the comment period for Notice No. 123, Proposed Establishment of the Middleburg Virginia Viticultural Area, a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on November 8, 2011. TTB is taking this action in response to a request from a local wine industry organization.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to establish the 28,298-acre “Inwood Valley” viticultural area in Shasta County, California. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on this proposed addition to its regulations.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to replace the current four report forms used by distilled spirits plants to report their operations with two new report forms that would be submitted on a monthly or quarterly basis. This proposal would streamline the reporting process and would result in savings for the industry and for TTB by significantly reducing the number of reports that must be completed and filed by industry members and processed by TTB.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to establish the approximately 198-square mile “Middleburg Virginia” viticultural area in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties in northern Virginia. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on this proposed addition to its regulations.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to amend its wine labeling regulations to allow a vintage date to appear on a wine that is labeled with a country as an appellation of origin. The proposal would provide greater grape sourcing and wine labeling flexibility to winemakers, both domestic and foreign, while still ensuring that consumers are provided with adequate information as to the identity and quality of the wines they purchase.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish the approximately 3,800 square-mile “Wisconsin Ledge” viticultural area in northeast Wisconsin. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on this proposed addition to its regulations.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is reopening the comment period for Notice No. 106, which requested public comments on standards to distinguish between pipe tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco for Federal excise tax purposes based on certain physical characteristics of the two products. This reopening of the comment period solicits comments from the public on certain issues that were raised in public comments received in response to Notice No. 106. This notice also sets forth for possible public comment the results of preliminary laboratory analyses conducted by TTB.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish the 11,075-acre “Coombsville” viticultural area in Napa County, California. The proposed viticultural area lies within the Napa Valley viticultural area and the multicounty North Coast viticultural area. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on this proposed addition to the TTB regulations.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish the 13,254-acre “Naches Heights” American viticultural area in Yakima County, Washington. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on this proposed addition to the Bureau's regulations.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is reopening the comment period for Notice No. 34, which concerned the proposed establishment of the Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area in western Sonoma County, California. Through this notice, TTB is soliciting comments on the establishment of the Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area as proposed in Notice No. 34 and the issues raised in the public comments received in response to that notice, including a request to expand the proposed viticultural area. Given the conflicting evidence provided by the petitioner and by some commenters with respect to the distinguishing features and boundary of the proposed viticultural area, and the length of time that has passed since Notice No. 34 was published in 2005, TTB believes that the rulemaking record regarding the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area should be reopened for public comment to ensure full public participation prior to any final regulatory action.
In this document, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau adopts as a final rule, with some changes, a proposed revision of its distilled spirits plant regulations. The revision modernizes the requirements for operating distilled spirits plants and includes a number of organizational changes to improve the layout of the regulatory texts. These changes make the regulations easier to apply, thereby facilitating compliance by distilled spirits plant proprietors and allowing those proprietors to operate in a more efficient manner. The revision also incorporates plain language principles in order to improve the clarity and readability of the regulatory texts.
In this final rule, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau makes technical corrections to its regulations. These amendments correct grammatical, spelling and typographical errors, update cross-references, update references to the Bureau's administrative practices and organizational structure, and make other non-substantive corrections and clarifications. These amendments do not change the Bureau's interpretation of any regulation or the requirements of any recordkeeping provision.
In this Treasury decision, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau amends the regulations concerning the establishment of American viticultural areas (AVAs). The changes provide clearer regulatory standards for the establishment of AVAs and clarify the rules for preparing, submitting, and processing viticultural area petitions.
This temporary rule updates and reissues Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulations pertaining to the semimonthly payments of excise tax on distilled spirits, wine, beer, tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes, and also reissues temporary regulations regarding quarterly payment of excise tax for small alcohol excise taxpayers. The temporary regulations adopted in this document replace temporary regulations issued under T.D. ATF-365 and T.D. TTB-41, which were originally published in 1995 and 2006, respectively. TTB is soliciting comments from all interested parties on these regulatory provisions through a notice of proposed rulemaking, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register .
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to amend its regulations by adding a number of new names to the list of grape variety names approved for use in designating American wines. In addition, TTB proposes to include separate entries for synonyms of existing entries so that readers can more readily find them and to correct one existing entry.
Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register , the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is issuing a temporary rule to implement certain changes made to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 by the Uruguay Round Agreement Act of 1994 and by the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. The temporary rule updates and reissues regulations pertaining to the semimonthly payments of excise tax on distilled spirits, wine, beer, tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes, and also reissues temporary regulations regarding quarterly payment of excise tax for small alcohol excise taxpayers. The text of the regulations in the temporary rule published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register serves as the text of the proposed regulations.
