Federal law (18 USC 846b) requires all federal agencies to report incidents involving arson and the suspected criminal misuse of explosives to the USBDC.

In 2004, the Attorney General directed the consolidation of all Department of Justice (DOJ) arson and explosives incident databases into a single system, which is now known as BATS. As a result, the ATF Arson and Explosives Incident System (AEXIS) and the former FBI Automated Incident Reporting System (AIRS) have been consolidated into BATS.

In August 2010, the Deputy Attorney General’s Office directed the FBI and ATF to ensure the participation of all state and local law enforcement agencies that partner with FBI and ATF in explosives investigations, in order for BATS to be a "comprehensive" database.

BATS is part of the national curriculum for bomb technicians at the Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama and the National Fire Academy’s Fire/Arson Origin-and-Cause Investigations course in Emmitsburg, Maryland. In addition, BATS is part of the FBI’s Model for Bomb Squad Standard Operating Procedures.