In a decisive move to protect the 2nd Amendment rights of Louisiana citizens, Governor Jeff Landry signed SB 301 into law on Tuesday, June 11. This landmark legislation prohibits financial institutions and credit card companies from tracking firearm and ammunition purchases, a measure designed to safeguard the privacy and freedom of law-abiding gun owners in the state.
The core of SB 301 addresses the contentious use of Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) by financial institutions to categorize and potentially monitor firearm-related transactions. By banning the use of MCCs for gun and ammunition purchases, the new law prevents left-leaning financial entities from blocking these transactions or compiling databases of gun owners—an invasive practice feared by many.
Governor Landry’s legislation goes further by prohibiting discrimination against firearm retailers and the unlawful disclosure of protected financial information. Additionally, it explicitly forbids the maintenance of any list, registry, or similar record of private firearm ownership, except as required by law for criminal investigations.
The bill states: “Except for those records kept during the regular course of a criminal investigation and prosecution, or as otherwise required by law, no government entity or official and no agent or employee of a governmental entity shall knowingly keep or cause to be kept any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or the owners of those firearms.”
To ensure compliance, the law mandates that the Attorney General investigate any reasonable allegations of violations. Should a violation be confirmed, the offending party will receive written notice and must cease the violation within thirty business days, or face fines.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), representing the firearm industry, praised Governor Landry’s action. Darren LaSorte, NSSF’s Director of Government Relations – State Affairs, declared, “Governor Jeff Landry’s signature on the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act is a powerful statement that the Second Amendment rights of Louisianans are not negotiable.”
LaSorte emphasized the law’s importance in protecting privacy, stating, “This law will protect Louisiana’s citizens from unlawful intrusion on their private purchases when purchasing firearms and ammunition with a payment card.” He continued, criticizing the influence of “woke” financial institutions, saying, “’Woke’ Wall Street banks, credit card companies, and payment processors won’t be able to collude with government entities to spy on Louisianans’ private finances when they exercise their rights. No American should fear being placed on a government watchlist because they choose their Constitutionally-protected rights to keep and bear arms.”
With this legislation, Louisiana joins a growing coalition of red states—15 in total—that have enacted similar protections against financial tracking of firearm purchases. States such as Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Iowa, Kentucky, Wyoming, Indiana, Utah, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia have all taken steps to ensure that their citizens’ 2nd Amendment rights remain uncompromised by intrusive financial surveillance.
Governor Landry’s bold action sends a clear message: the rights of gun owners in Louisiana will be fiercely protected. In an era where constitutional freedoms are often under attack, Louisiana stands firm, setting a robust example for other states to follow.
