[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 11, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E84]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     THE ANTI-COP-KILLER BULLET ACT

                                 ______


                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 11, 1995
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation that would 
impose a tax and import controls on bullets expressly designed to 
penetrate the bulletproof vests of law enforcement personnel.
  This legislation, the Anti-Cop-Killer Bullet Act, would impose the 
same tax which currently exists on controlled firearms, such as 
submachine guns and sawed-off shotguns, to high-technology cop killer 
bullets like the rhino and black talon bullet. If enacted, the bullet 
manufacturer would be taxed at the rate of $200 for each bullet--a tax 
so high that the bullet obviously would never be produced.
  Over 10 years ago, a Teflon-coated bullet designed to pierce soft 
body armor was introduced. Due to strong public reaction, Congress in 
1986 enacted the very first law to ban a round of ammunition. Since 
then other bullets manufactured from different materials but designed 
with the same purpose have been introduced. Only after threatening or 
actually carrying out our threat to ban these cop-killer bullets, have 
we in Congress been successful at stopping them from reaching our 
streets.
  However, as soon as we in Congress go through the motions of 
preventing a cop-killer bullet from going into production, along comes 
another manufacturer with a new bullet designed to penetrate protective 
armor. This pattern will continue as long as bullet manufacturers are 
allowed to exploit the loophole that exists in the 1986 law banning 
cop-killer bullets. Under the law, only metal alloy and Teflon-coated 
bullets were singled out leaving the door wide open for companies such 
as the Signature Products Corporation to develop plastic-based 
ammunition like the rhino bullet.
  My legislation would prevent these unscrupulous bullet manufacturers 
from taking advantage of this loophole in existing Federal law. Rather 
than attempting to add another amendment to the 1986 law, the Anti-Cop-
Killer Bullet Act proposes an across-the-board tax on all bullets 
expressly manufactured or advertised to penetrate normal quality 
bulletproof vests worn by law enforcement personnel. The tax at $200 
per bullet would surely make the business of manufacturing cop-killer 
bullets an economic impossibility.
  America's law enforcement officers are already out-gunned as it is. 
Having to worry about a bullet piercing their protective armor should 
be the last thing on their mind.
  By passing the Anti-Cop-Killer Bullet Act, we will be giving our law 
enforcement the support they need. I urge my colleagues to join with me 
to pass this legislation so that we can prevent these cop-killer 
bullets from endangering the lives of America's law enforcement 
officers.


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