(a) The terms used in this article shall have the same meaning provided in § 31A-2A-1 of this code, unless otherwise specified in this section.

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(b) For the purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) “Ammunition” means ammunition or cartridge cases, primers, bullets, or propellant powder designed for use in any firearm.

(2) “Assign” or “assignment” refers to a financial institution policy, process, or practice that labels, links, or otherwise associates a firearms code with a merchant or payment card transaction in a manner that allows the financial institution or any other entity facilitating or processing the payment card transaction to identify whether a merchant is a firearms retailer or whether a transaction involves the sale of firearms, firearm accessories or components, or ammunition.

(3) “Customer”, in addition to the definition provided in §31A-2A-1(a) of this code, includes any person who presents a payment card to a merchant for the purchase of goods or services.

(4) “Disclosure” means the transfer, publication, or distribution of protected financial information to another person for any purpose other than to process or facilitate a payment card transaction.

(5) “Financial institution”, in addition to the definition provided in §31A-2A-1(b) of this code, includes an entity other than a merchant involved in facilitating or processing a payment card transaction, including, but not limited to, a bank, acquirer, gateway, payment card network, or payment card issuer.

(6) “Financial record”, in addition to the definition provided in §31A-2A-1(c) of this code, includes a financial record held by a financial institution related to a payment card transaction that the financial institution has processed or facilitated.

(7) “Firearm” has the same meaning as that term is defined in § 61-7-2 of this code and includes antique firearms.

(8) “Firearm accessories or components” means:

(A) Any device specifically adapted to enable the wearing or carrying about one’s person or the storage or mounting in or on any conveyance of a firearm and any attachment or device specifically adapted to be inserted into or affixed onto any firearm to enable, alter, or improve the functioning or capabilities of the firearm;

(B) Any item that is used in conjunction with or mounted upon a firearm, including but not limited to telescopic or laser sights, magazines, flash or sound suppressors, folding or aftermarket stocks and grips, speedloaders, braces, ammunition carriers, and lights for target illumination; and

(C) Any component for making ammunition, reloading materials and equipment, machinery, and tools for manufacturing ammunition.

(9) “Firearms code” means any code or other indicator a financial institution assigns to a merchant or to a payment card transaction that identifies whether a merchant is a firearms retailer or whether the payment card transaction involves the purchase of a firearm, firearm accessories or components, or ammunition. The term includes, but is not limited to, a Merchant Category Code assigned to a retailer by a payment card network or other financial institution.

(10) “Firearms retailer” means any person engaged in the lawful business of selling or trading firearms or antique firearms, as those terms are defined in § 61-7-2 of this code, firearm accessories or components, or ammunition to be used in firearms or antique firearms.

(11) “Government entity” means any state or local government agency or instrumentality thereof, located in West Virginia.

(12) “Merchant” means a person or entity that accepts payment cards from customers for the purchase of goods or services. The term includes a firearms retailer that accepts payment cards for the lawful purchase of firearms, firearm accessories or components, or ammunition.

(13) “Payment card” means a credit card, charge card, debit card, or any other card that is issued to an authorized card user and that allows the user to purchase goods or services from a merchant.

(14) “Protected financial information” means any record of a sale, purchase, return, or refund involving a payment card that is retrieved, characterized, generated, labeled, sorted, or grouped based on the assignment of a firearms code. A “customer’s protected financial information” refers to protected financial information appearing in a financial institution’s records pertaining to a customer.