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Merchant Codes Can Save Lives Act
To prohibit States from prohibiting or otherwise deterring the usage of any merchant category code established by the International Organization for Standardization, including codes that identify firearm merchants and ammunition merchants.
Summary
The Merchant Codes Can Save Lives Act prohibits states from prohibiting or deterring the use of merchant category codes established by the International Organization for Standardization that identify firearm and ammunition merchants. The bill prevents states from restricting codes used to track payment card transactions involving the purchase of firearms, firearm ammunition, ammunition components, or firearm accessories. The Attorney General is authorized to bring civil actions in federal district court against states that attempt to prohibit or deter the use of these merchant category codes. The bill applies to any ISO-established merchant category codes used for identifying firearm merchants and related transactions.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Maxwell Frost’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- VLP LAW $13,200
- SMARTHINKING $13,200
- BAD ROBOT PRODUCTIONS $13,200
- AMSCOT FINANCIAL, INC. $8,500
- ADVENT HEALTH $6,750
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Maxwell Frost → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Jan 16, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. · house
- Jan 16, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 16, 2026
Mr. Frost introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
A BILL
To prohibit States from prohibiting or otherwise deterring the usage of any merchant category code established by the International Organization for Standardization, including codes that identify firearm merchants and ammunition merchants.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Merchant Codes Can Save Lives Act”.
SEC. 2. PREEMPTION RELATING TO MERCHANT CATEGORY CODES.
Section 5313 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by inserting after subsection (g) the following:
“(h) Merchant Category Code Usage.—
“(1) In general.—No State may prohibit or otherwise deter the usage of any merchant category code established by the International Organization for Standardization for identifying firearm merchants or payment card transactions involving the purchase of a firearm, firearm ammunition, ammunition components for use with firearms, or firearm accessories.
“(2) Enforcement.—The Attorney General may bring a civil action in the appropriate district court to enforce this subsection.”. <all>
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