HR 1181 · 119th Congress · Finance and Financial Sector

Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act

Introduced February 11, 2025 Latest action February 25, 2026 132 cosponsors

Sponsor

Latest action

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 447.

Action timeline

Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.

Feb 25, 2026

committee Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 119-522.

Financial Services Committee

Feb 25, 2026

other Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 447.

Dec 17, 2025

committee Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Financial Services Committee

Dec 17, 2025

committee Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 29 - 23.

Financial Services Committee

Dec 16, 2025

committee Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Financial Services Committee

Text versions

Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.

Feb 25, 2026 Reported in House

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Feb 11, 2025 Introduced in House

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CRS summaries

Plain-English summaries written by the Congressional Research Service — neutral, nonpartisan staff who summarize bills as they advance through stages. The authoritative description of what each version of the bill does.

00 Introduced in House Feb 11, 2025

Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act This bill prohibits payment card networks from using merchant codes that distinguish firearms retailers from general-merchandise retailers or sporting-goods retailers. The Department of Justice must enforce this bill and report annually on the resulting investigations and cases.

via Congressional Research Service · published through congress.gov

Changelog

ⓘ

How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.

`ih` / `is` — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.

`rfh` / `rfs` — Referred to a committee for review.

`rh` / `rs` — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).

`pcs` / `pch` — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.

`eh` / `es` — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.

`rdh` / `rds` — Received by the other chamber.

`eah` / `eas` — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.

`ath` / `ats` — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.

`enr` — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.

`pl` — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.

`pp` — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.

Most bills die before `eh`/`es`. Going from `pcs` → `enr` is the full path through both chambers.

Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.

+152 −47 49 unchanged

--- Introduced (House)

+++ Reported (House)

@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@

[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

-[H.R. 1181 Introduced in House (IH)]

+[H.R. 1181 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>

+Union Calendar No. 447

119th CONGRESS

-1st Session

+2d Session

H. R. 1181

+[Report No. 119-522]

To prohibit payment card networks and covered entities from requiring

the use of or assigning merchant category codes that distinguish a

@@ -27,6 +30,43 @@

Texas, and Mr. Rutherford) introduced the following bill; which was

referred to the Committee on Financial Services

+February 25, 2026

+Additional sponsors: Ms. Boebert, Mr. Messmer, Mr. McDowell, Mr. Biggs

+of Arizona, Mr. Issa, Mr. Green of Tennessee, Mr. Bergman, Mr.

+Arrington, Mr. Huizenga, Mr. Kennedy of Utah, Ms. De La Cruz, Mr.

+Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. DesJarlais, Mr. Clyde, Mr. LaLota, Mr.

+Graves, Mr. Rogers of Alabama, Mr. Gooden, Mr. Kustoff, Mrs.

+Harshbarger, Mr. Langworthy, Mr. Amodei of Nevada, Mr. Murphy, Mr.

+Moolenaar, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, Mr. Van

+Orden, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Valadao, Mr. Latta, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr.

+Nehls, Mrs. Hinson, Mr. Walberg, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Rouzer, Mr. Sessions,

+Mr. Harris of Maryland, Mrs. Wagner, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Stauber, Mr.

+Scott Franklin of Florida, Mr. Mann, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Moore of Utah,

+Ms. Letlow, Mr. Estes, Mr. Gosar, Mr. Strong, Mr. Shreve, Mr. Feenstra,

+Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. Tiffany, Mr. Fleischmann, Mr. Cloud, Mr.

+Ellzey, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Hern of Oklahoma, Mr.

+Pfluger, Mr. Zinke, Mr. Babin, Mr. Ezell, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Miller of

+Ohio, Mr. Harrigan, Mr. McGuire, Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas, Mr. Kelly

+of Mississippi, Mr. Reschenthaler, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Hurd of Colorado,

+Mr. Goldman of Texas, Mr. Evans of Colorado, Mr. Jack, Mr. Loudermilk,

+Mr. Harris of North Carolina, Mr. Baumgartner, Mr. Fallon, Ms.

+Stefanik, Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Haridopolos, Mr. Steube, Mr. Meuser, Mrs.

+Miller of Illinois, Mrs. McClain, Mr. Timmons, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Downing,

+Mr. Wied, Ms. Fedorchak, Mr. Stutzman, Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona, Ms. Lee

+of Florida, Mr. Begich, Mr. Fry, Mr. Jackson of Texas, Mrs. Biggs of

+South Carolina, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Moran, Mrs. Fischbach, Mr. Patronis,

+Mr. Nunn of Iowa, Mr. Davidson, Mr. Owens, and Mr. Joyce of Ohio

+February 25, 2026

+Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole

+House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

+[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed

+in italic]

+[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on

+February 11, 2025]

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

@@ -44,18 +84,28 @@

This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Privacy in Purchases

Act''.

-SEC. 2. DISTINGUISHING FIREARMS SALES.

+SEC. 2. DISTINGUISHING FIREARM RETAILERS PROHIBITED.

(a) Prohibitions Relating to Merchant Category Codes.--

-(1) Payment card networks.--A payment card network may not

-require a firearms retailer to use, nor require a covered

-entity to assign, a merchant category code that distinguishes

-such firearms retailer from a general-merchandise retailer or a

-sporting-goods retailer.

-(2) Covered entities.--A covered entity or its agent may

-not assign to a firearms retailer any merchant category code

-that distinguishes from a general-merchandise retailer or a

-sporting-goods retailer.

+(1) For payment card networks.--A payment card network may

+not require--

+(A) a firearms retailer to use a merchant category

+code that--

+(i) is used only or primarily for firearms

+retailers; or

+(ii) identifies such retailer as engaged in

+the business of selling firearms, ammunition,

+accessories of firearms, or components of

+firearms; or

+(B) a covered entity to assign a merchant category

+code that is used only or primarily for firearms

+retailers or that identifies a firearms retailer as

+engaged in the business of selling firearms.

+(2) For covered entities.--A covered entity may not assign

+to a firearms retailer any merchant category code that is used

+only or primarily for firearms retailers or that identifies

+such retailer as engaged in the business of selling firearms,

+ammunition, accessories of firearms, or components of firearms.

(b) Enforcement.--

(1) In general.--The Attorney General shall enforce this

section and shall, not later than 90 days after the date of the

@@ -63,16 +113,17 @@

including firearms retailers, to submit complaints relating to

alleged violations of this section.

(2) Investigation.--The Attorney General shall investigate

-each complaint received through the processes established under

-paragraph (1).

-(3) Written notice.--If the Attorney General determines

-after conducting an investigation that a payment card network

-or covered entity has violated this section, the Attorney

-General shall send a written notice of such violation to such

-payment card network or covered entity that requires the

-payment card network or covered entity to remedy the violation

-not later than 30 days after the date on which the payment card

-network or covered entity receives such notice.

+any complaint received through the processes established by the

+Attorney General under paragraph (1).

+(3) Written notice.--If the Attorney General determines,

+after conducting an investigation under paragraph (2), that a

+payment card network or covered entity has violated this

+section, the Attorney General shall send a written notice of

+such violation to such payment card network or covered entity

+that requires the payment card network or covered entity to

+remedy the violation not later than 30 days after the date on

+which the payment card network or covered entity receives such

+notice.

(4) Injunction.--

(A) In general.--If a payment card network or

covered entity does not remedy a violation within 30

@@ -81,45 +132,99 @@

court to enjoin the violating behavior.

(B) No private right of action.--This Act does not

create a private right of action.

-(c) Preemption.--Any law of a State or local government regulating

-merchant category codes for firearm retailers is hereby preempted.

+(c) Preemption.--

+(1) In general.--Any law of a State or local government

+regulating the assignment, use, or disclosure of merchant

+category codes that are used only or primarily for firearms

+retailers or that identifies a retailer as engaged in the

+business of selling firearms, ammunition, accessories of

+firearms, or components of firearms is hereby preempted.

+(2) Limitation.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), nothing in

+this Act may be construed to prevent a payment card network or

+a covered entity from complying with any Federal, State, or

+local law or regulations related to dispute processing, fraud,

+compliance management, or protecting transaction integrity from

+concerns related to illegal or suspicious activities, data

+breaches, or cyber risks.

(d) Report.--The Attorney General shall, each year, submit a report

to the Congress that--

(1) identifies the number of investigations undertaken by

-the Attorney General under this section;

-(2) includes a summary of such cases and their disposition;

-and

-(3) provides any available data and analysis regarding the

-effectiveness of this Act.

+the Attorney General under subsection (b);

+(2) includes a summary of such investigations and their

+disposition; and

+(3) provides any available data and analysis that relates

+to the effectiveness of this Act.

(e) Definitions.--In this Act:

(1) Ammunition.--The term ``ammunition'' has the meaning

given the term in section 921(a)(17)(A) of title 18, United

States Code.

(2) Covered entity.--The term ``covered entity'' means any

entity that--

-(A) establishes a relationship with a merchant for

-the purposes of processing credit, debit, or prepaid

+(A) has on the date of the enactment of this

+section, or establishes after the date of the enactment

+of this section, a relationship with a merchant for the

+purposes of processing credit, debit, or prepaid

transactions; or

-(B) establishes a relationship with an entity that

+(B) has on the date of the enactment of this

+section, or establishes after the date of the enactment

+of this section, a relationship with an entity that

establishes a relationship with a merchant for the

-purposes of processing credit, debit, or prepaid

-transactions.

-(3) Firearm.--The term ``firearm'' has the meaning given

-the term in section 921(a)(3), (5), (7), (16), (29), (30), of

-title 18, United States Code.

+purposes of processing credit transactions, debit

+transactions, or prepaid transactions.

+(3) Firearm.--The term ``firearm'' means--

+(A) a ``firearm'' as such term is defined in

+section 921(a)(3) of title 18, United States Code;

+(B) a ``shotgun'' as such term is defined in

+section 921(a)(5) of title 18, United States Code;

+(C) a ``rifle'' as such term is defined in section

+921(a)(7) of title 18, United States Code;

+(D) an ``antique firearm'' as such term is defined

+in section 921(a)(16) of title 18, United States Code;

+(E) a ``semiautomatic rifle'' as such term is

+defined in section 921(a)(29) of title 18, United

+States Code; and

+(F) a ``handgun'' as such term is defined in

+section 921(a)(30) of title 18, United States Code.

(4) Firearms retailer.--The term ``firearms retailer''

-means a person or entity engaged in the lawful business of

-selling or trading firearms or ammunition to be used in

-firearms.

+means a person, entity, or retail location physically located

+in the United States that is engaged in the business of selling

+or trading--

+(A) firearms;

+(B) ammunition;

+(C) accessories of firearms; or

+(D) components of firearms.

(5) Merchant category code.--The term ``merchant category

code'' means a multi-digit code, issued by the International

Organization for Standardization, for the purposes of enabling

the classification of merchants into specific categories based

-on the type of business, trade or services supplied.

+on the type of business, trade, or services supplied.

(6) Payment card network.--The term ``payment card

-network'' means an entity that directly or through a licensed

-member, processor, or agent provides proprietary services,

-infrastructure, or software, or hardware that route information

-used to authorize, clear and settle credit card and debit card

-transactions.

-<all>

+network'' means an entity that directly or through a network

+participant, processor, or agent provides proprietary services,

+infrastructure, software, or hardware used to authorize, clear

+and settle credit, debit, or prepaid transactions.

+Union Calendar No. 447

+119th CONGRESS

+2d Session

+H. R. 1181

+[Report No. 119-522]

+_______________________________________________________________________

+A BILL

+To prohibit payment card networks and covered entities from requiring

+the use of or assigning merchant category codes that distinguish a

+firearms retailer from general-merchandise retailer or sporting-goods

+retailer, and for other purposes.

+_______________________________________________________________________

+February 25, 2026

+Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole

+House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Lobbying activity

Organizations whose LDA filings reference this bill, ranked by filing count. Position not disclosed — LDA does not require lobbyists to report support / oppose / monitor. Bill-number references can be stale (lobbyists sometimes copy text year-over-year), so verify against the filing description.

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

FIN

filings · 2026 Q3

AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

BAN

filings · 2026 Q3

AMERICAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION

BAN

filings · 2026 Q3

NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION

BAN

filings · 2026 Q3

MASTERCARD WORLDWIDE

BAN

filings · 2025 Q2

AMERICANS FOR FINANCIAL REFORM

FIN

filings · 2025 Q4

via Senate LDA · self-reported quarterly. Filing count = filings mentioning this bill (no position required), not money spent on it. Click a client to see all bills they've filed on.

Cosponsors (129)

Members who signed on to support this bill.