Bill would require unique credit card code for gun dealers

A late initiative resulted in the passage of a bill that would require credit card companies to assign a unique tracking code to gun and ammunition dealers in New York state.

The bill’s sponsors, Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Rep. Michaelle Solages, say it’s a way to track credit card purchases that are currently not well documented, while also working to fight against armed crime.

Opponents insist that introducing this type of regulation is an attack on lawful gun owners.

Hudson Munoz, executive director of Guns Down America, said Spectrum News 1 that there is a practical purpose in creating a code that allows credit card companies to track gun purchases. Merchant category codes categorize businesses by the types of products they sell, and Munoz said gun purchases from firearms and ammunition dealers are not tracked consistently.

“Before, it could be sporting goods, miscellaneous,” he said.

He argued that the use of the code is consistent with that of other industries.

“It is useful in itself to fill this gap by codifying gun stores as such,” he said.

There is also a public safety element.

Part of that involves, he said, dealing with cases where credit card information is stolen and used to buy guns.

The other hopes to help law enforcement connect the dots of investigation in an effort to reduce the risk of mass shootings. Munoz cited the 2017 Las Vegas music festival shooting as well as the 2016 Pulse Night Club shooting as examples of where credit card purchases played a significant role.

“In these cases, shooters opened new lines of credit or showed a sudden increase in credit usage at gun stores,” he said.

Republicans and other supporters came out in force against the bill.

State Assembly member David DiPietro said New York lawmakers should focus on holding criminals accountable, but said instead this bill would violate homeowners’ privacy legal firearms.

“All legal gun owners will once again be harassed and prosecuted for simply enforcing the law,” he said.

He and others have expressed concern that people who use firearms recreationally will have their credit cards routinely flagged.

“If you buy ammo in bulk you are targeted, that raises the flag, but for no reason because a lot of people like me are target shooters,” he said. “It’s not uncommon to fire a few hundred rounds a day.”

Asked about these concerns, Munoz called them “disinformation” but ultimately acknowledged that while these arguments exist, the bill is not designed to flag such activities.

“They are not interested in individual transactions, they are looking for an overall change in behavior that increases their risk,” he said. “If someone goes there and has a known transaction, they’re an avid shooting sports person, they’re buying guns and ammo, fine, go at your own pace.”

California has a similar law while other states have laws explicitly prohibiting this type of regulation. It’s unclear whether the law will face challenges here in New York.