May 16, 2025

NSSF Applauds Sen. Bill Hagerty’s Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act Introduction

WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF^®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, hails the introduction of S. 1715, the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, introduced by U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), which would ban the use of a firearm retailer-specific Merchant Category Code (MCC). The legislation would protect the Second Amendment privacy of firearm and ammunition purchasers from financial service and payment card providers compiling purchase history that has already proven to be exploited by the federal government for political purposes and denying lawful credit card transactions.

Sen. Hagerty is joined by 16 Senate cosponsors. Similar legislation, under the same title, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.V.) as H.R. 1181.

“Gun control proponents, including those in Congress, have already admitted the use of a firearm retailer-specific Merchant Category Code is intended to monitor and approve or deny firearm and ammunition purchases,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel. “Senator Hagerty’s bill would prohibit banks and the government from creating watchlists or determining when law-abiding citizens may exercise their Second Amendment rights, which starts with legally purchasing a firearm or ammunition. No American should be concerned that banks or the federal government are employing this Orwellian antigun scheme to monitor the exercise of their Second Amendment rights when they lawfully purchase firearms or ammunition products. NSSF thanks Senator Hagerty for his principled leadership to stand up for Second Amendment rights and against gun control special interest groups and big government lawmakers who want to monitor and deny lawful transactions by law-abiding Americans. Americans should worry about what’s in their wallet, not who’s in their wallet.”

The need for a federal policy has become necessary since 20 states have enacted similar legislation to protect the privacy of firearm and ammunition purchasers, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and West Virginia. Several additional states are currently considering similar legislation. Three states – California, Colorado and New York – enacted legislation requiring the use of a firearm retailer-specific MCC, highlighting the necessity for a national standard to protect Second Amendment financial privacy.

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About NSSF
NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.

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Media contact:
Mark Oliva
202-220-1340

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