Panel supports bill to block merchant codes that single out firearm purchases, calling it a privacy measure

Senate Bill 10‑58 aims to prevent government entities and certain private actors from maintaining firearm registries or using merchant category codes to single out firearm retailers, and it authorizes the attorney general and county attorneys to seek injunctions and civil penalties for violations.

Sponsor remarks framed the bill as a privacy and Second Amendment protection: "If you purchase a firearm with a credit card, they can track you. And that's wrong," the sponsor said. Industry witnesses described the issue as financial‑privacy, not a traditional firearms regulation. "This is financial privacy bill... Payment card networks have created firearms specific merchant category codes that allow lawful purchases to be identified, tracked, and analyzed without a warrant," one witness testified, adding that similar practices have been used in other states to restrict services like mortgages or banking.

Committee members asked whether such tracking has occurred in Arizona and about the origins of merchant category codes. Witnesses said the codes were encouraged at the federal level and have been used in states such as New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts; proponents said the bill seeks to prevent such outcomes in Arizona. After testimony and discussion, the committee returned SB 10‑58 with a due‑pass recommendation; members recorded votes and several offered explanations for their votes on the record.

Why it matters: The bill targets a financial‑privacy technique that proponents say can be used to build ownership profiles of lawful purchasers and, over time, lead to de‑banking or other restrictions; supporters argued the measure preserves customers' privacy and constitutional protections while opponents raised implementation questions.