Congress Moves to Block Gun Purchase Surveillance with New Bill: S. 1715 and H.R. 1181

Are credit card companies quietly tracking your firearm purchases? A growing number of Americans (including me) and lawmakers think so. In response, pro-Second Amendment legislators have introduced federal bills to shut down the use of firearm-specific merchant category codes (MCCs) once and for all.+

S. 1715, known as the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, was introduced by Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and has already gained support from 16 Senate cosponsors. Its House companion, H.R. 1181, was introduced by Representative Riley Moore (R-WV). Both bills aim to prohibit the use of a firearm retailer-specific MCC, which banks and credit card companies could use to surveil and potentially restrict lawful firearm and ammunition purchases.

“No American should be concerned that banks or the federal government are employing this Orwellian antigun scheme,” said Lawrence G. Keane, Senior VP at the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). “This legislation is about protecting your rights and your wallet.”

Why It Matters

In 2022, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) approved a request to create a dedicated MCC for gun stores—essentially flagging any transaction at a firearm retailer. Gun control advocates claimed the code would help track suspicious activity and potentially thwart mass shootings. But we know better. It is the latest backdoor attempt to create a national gun registry—this time through financial institutions.

What’s more disturbing is that some politicians openly admitted the goal was to monitor, and potentially deny, certain lawful purchases. That level of financial snooping has already proven to be abused. Just last year, it was revealed that the federal government worked with banks to flag broad categories of firearm-related purchases, without warrants or probable cause.

A Patchwork of State Laws

Federal action is now needed to bring consistency. As of today, 20 states—including Texas, Florida, Indiana, and Utah—have passed laws that prohibit the use of firearm-specific MCCs. On the flip side, California, Colorado, and New York have gone in the opposite direction, mandating their use.

This tug-of-war between state laws is precisely why the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act is being pushed. It would create a national standard, banning firearm-specific MCCs across the country and restoring consistency in how financial transactions are handled.

Learn more about the Merchant Code battle in our detailed breakdown here →

What You Can Do

These bills are still early in the legislative process. If you believe your financial data shouldn't be weaponized against your Second Amendment rights, now’s the time to call your Senators and Representatives and encourage them to support S. 1715 and H.R. 1181.

Final Thoughts

This isn’t just about financial privacy—it’s about the creeping normalization of private companies being used as tools of government surveillance. We should all be asking: Who’s in your wallet?

It is unclear how likely this proposal is to pass through to become law, but if you care, tell your representatives and senators!