HB97 ads clear, comprehensive and expanded language to Wyoming's existing Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act, making the bill more effective and comprehensive, delivering practical safeguards that benefit gun owners, retailers, and everyday citizens who value individual liberty and equal treatment under the law.

The bill adds precise definitions for “firearm accessories or components,” explicitly covering items like magazines, braces, suppressors, reloading equipment and tools, ammunition components, lights, stocks, and more. It also broadens “merchant” and “firearms retailer” to include any business lawfully selling these products.

These updates are excellent for gun owners because they close potential loopholes and ensure that the entire legitimate firearms ecosystem—from hunting and self-defense to sport shooting and reloading—is treated the same as any other lawful retail business. No selective tracking or higher costs just because a product relates to firearms. This promotes fairness in the marketplace and respects the broad protections of the Second Amendment without creating special burdens on responsible citizens.

The bill also ads robust protections against Government-sponsored tracking with new language explicitly bars state and local governments from using public funds or personnel to enforce federal rules that would create registries of privately owned firearms through payment data. It also prohibits them from maintaining their own lists derived from merchant codes. It prevents the kind of backdoor surveillance that could chill constitutional rights, while still allowing normal federal firearms licensing records. The result is stronger privacy protections for gun owners without interfering with legitimate law enforcement or public safety.

The changes assure accountability by upgrading optional language to mandatory “shall” requirements for the Attorney General: investigations must occur, written notices must be issued, and injunctions must be pursued when violations are confirmed. 

This shift is particularly valuable because it creates consistent, reliable enforcement rather than leaving protections up to discretion. Gun owners and businesses gain confidence that their rights will be actively defended, which aligns with the principle that constitutional protections should not depend on who is in office.

Wyoming merchants and customers will have the ability to petition the Attorney General, and if no action is taken within 60 days, they can sue directly in court. Courts must award attorney fees and costs to successful plaintiffs, and willful violators face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation—after a court injunction is ignored. Importantly, judges are directed to consider the harm or risk of harm to Second Amendment rights when setting penalties. 

This is one of the bill’s strongest features. It gives ordinary citizens and small businesses a practical way to push back against unfair financial discrimination, while the penalty structure recognizes that interfering with core constitutional rights carries real weight. It levels the playing field without excessive regulation, appealing to those who support both strong rights protections and personal responsibility.

These provisions defend the principle that lawful commerce should not be singled out for political or ideological reasons. For gun owners, it means reliable access to credit cards, online sales, and banking services—the same as any other retailer, preventing arbitrary barriers that hurt small businesses and consumers alike.