Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law earlier this week that prohibits financial institutions, such as banks and credit card companies, from specifically tracking gun and ammunition purchases.
House Bill 2762, also called the “Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act,” prohibits financial institutions from requiring gun retailers to use a specific merchant code “that distinguishes a firearms retailer from a general merchandise retailer or a sporting goods retailer.” All retailers are assigned merchant codes based on what they sell, allowing banks and credit card companies to track purchasing patterns and protect against fraud. Gun retailers’ merchant codes are usually included with those of other shops, like sporting goods stores.
State Rep. Dusty Grills, a Republican, introduced the legislation earlier this year after credit card companies Visa and…
