FRANKFORT, KY – Among the new laws delivered to Secretary of State Michael Adams today was House Bill 357, the Second Amendment Privacy Act. The measure prohibits merchant processors from using specific merchant category codes for transactions involving the sale of firearms and/or ammunition. Kentucky now joins the ranks of states across the nation moving to protect law-abiding gun owners and the retailers who serve them.
HB 357, filed by Representative Michael Meredith of Oakland and Representative Derek Lewis of London, would prohibit the use specific merchant category codes during the sale of a firearm and/or ammunition. The issue stems from a move by the International Organization for Standardization, a global network of unelected officials based in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2022, the organization created a four-digit merchant category code for firearms retailers in a move that many felt was aimed at tracking purchases.
“The Second Amendment is fundamental to our rights. HB 357 simply protects Kentuckians from an unconstitutional infringement on their privacy. We have an obligation to protect the rights enshrined by the U.S. Constitution and prevent those who oppose it from discriminating against gun shops and firearms retailers,” Meredith said.
While Kentucky and other states are moving towards banning the use of these merchant codes, other states are moving in the opposite direction. California and New York have mandated their use. In addition, this past December, a group of congressional members sent a letter to all major credit card companies requesting that they require the use of merchant codes in states where they are not yet prohibited so that purchases may be flagged.
“For more than 233 years, Kentuckians have relied on their firearms to protect themselves and provide for their families. We’ve used them to defend this nation, and preserve every other liberty granted by the constitution,” Lewis added. “While I wish the Governor had joined us in supporting this measure, I appreciate that he didn’t try to stand in the way of it becoming law.”
For more information about HB 357, which takes effect on January 1, 2025, visit the Kentucky General Assembly’s website at legislature.ky.gov .
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