The Indiana House of Representatives recently advanced State Representative Jake Teshka (R-North Liberty) legislation to protect lawful Hoosiers’ gun purchase information tracked by government entities.
Teshka said some banks and credit card companies have used merchant category codes, which gather cardholders’ data, to track gun purchases from firearms retailers. His legislation would prohibit payment processors from labeling firearm purchases using these codes.
“Lawful Hoosier gun owners shouldn’t have to worry about their firearm purchases being tracked and stored in a database somewhere,” Teshka said. “Without the protections in this bill, these codes could allow gun-owning citizens’ privacy to be violated simply for exercising a constitutional right.”
Teshka’s legislation would also authorize the Indiana Attorney General’s Office to pursue violators and seek civil penalties of up to $10,000. Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia all passed similar laws last year.
“This legislation would protect Hoosiers who have a legal right to purchase firearms,” Teshka said. “Creating a registry of lawful citizens infringes on their privacy and Hoosiers should be free to exercise their Second Amendment rights without fear of being blacklisted by financial institutions.”
House Bill 1084 now heads to the Indiana Senate for further consideration. For more information, or to watch sessions and committees live, visit iga.in.gov.
