Starting next week, a new California law will require credit card networks like Visa and Mastercard to provide banks with specific retail codes that can be assigned to gun stores in order to track their sales.
However, some states like Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee, and Wyoming are passing laws that prohibit the use of these gun shop codes.
This issue has become a new gun policy debate among state capitals, dividing lawmakers along party lines.
Some Democrats and gun-control activists believe the retail tracking code will help financial institutions flag suspicious gun-related purchases for law enforcement, potentially preventing mass shootings and other crimes.
On the other hand, many Republicans and gun-rights advocates are concerned that the retail code may lead to unjust suspicion of gun buyers who have not violated any laws.
States have also responded differently to recent mass shootings and other gun-related incidents, further highlighting the national divide on gun policies.
The surge of legislation targeting firearm store category codes addresses the way electronic financial transactions are processed and monitored by banks.
California’s new law requires credit card networks to provide banks with the firearms code by a certain deadline, with other states like Colorado and New York also adopting similar mandates.
