[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 3 (Thursday, January 29, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S232-S234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CAMPBELL:
  S. 1591. A bill entitled the ``Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act 
of 1998''; to the Committee on the Judiciary.


           THE BULLETPROOF VEST PARTNERSHIP GRANT ACT OF 1998

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Bulletproof 
Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998, a bill to establish a matching 
grant program to help State, Tribal and local jurisdictions purchase 
armor vests for the use by law enforcement officers. I also am working 
with my colleague, Senator Leahy, on an expanded version of body armor 
legislation.
  There are far too many law enforcement officers who patrol our 
streets and neighborhoods without the proper protective gear against 
violent criminals. As a former deputy sheriff, I know first-hand the 
risks which law enforcement officers face everyday on the front lines 
protecting our communities.
  Today, more than ever, violent criminals have bulletproof vests and 
deadly

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weapons at their disposal. In fact, figures from the U.S. Department of 
Justice indicate that approximately 150,000 law enforcement officers--
or 25 percent of the nation's 600,000 state and local officers--do not 
have access to bulletproof vests.
  The evidence is clear that a bulletproof vest is one of the most 
important pieces of equipment that any law enforcement officer can 
have. Since the introduction of modern bulletproof material, the lives 
of more than 1,500 officers have been saved by bulletproof vests. In 
fact, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has concluded that officers 
who do not wear bulletproof vests are 14 times more likely to be killed 
by a firearm than those officers who do wear vests. Simply put, 
bulletproof vests save lives.
  Unfortunately, many police departments do not have the resources to 
purchase vests on their own. The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act 
of 1998 would form a partnership with state and local law enforcement 
agencies in order to make sure that every police officer who needs a 
bulletproof gets one. It would do so by authorizing up to $25 million 
per year for a new grant program within the U.S. Department of Justice. 
The program would provide 50-50 matching grants to state and local law 
enforcement agencies and Indian tribes to assist in purchasing 
bulletproof vests and body armor. To make sure that no police 
department is left out of the program, the matching requirement could 
be waived for those jurisdictions that cannot afford it.
  This bill is a companion to legislation introduced in the House of 
Representatives by Congressman Peter J. Visclosky from Indiana. That 
legislation already has over 200 cosponsors.
  This bill has been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, the 
National Sheriffs' Association, the International Union of Police 
Associations, the Police Executive Research Forum, the International 
Brotherhood of Police Officers, and the National Association of Police 
Organizations.
  While we know that there is no way to end the risks inherent to a 
career in law enforcement, we must do everything possible to ensure 
that officers who put their lives on the line every day also put on a 
vest. Body armor is one of the most important pieces of equipment an 
officer can have and often means the difference between life and death.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1591

       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 ``Bulletproof Vest Partnership 
     Grant Act of 1998''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings--Congress finds that--
       (1) too many law enforcement officers die, while protecting 
     the public, as a result of gunshot wounds;
       (2) according to studies, between 1985 and 1994, 709 law 
     enforcement officers in the United States were feloniously 
     killed in the line of duty;
       (3) more than 92 percent of such law enforcement officers 
     were killed by firearms;
       (4) the number of law enforcement officers who die as a 
     result of gunshot wounds has declined significantly since the 
     introduction of modern bulletproof material;
       (5) according to studies, between 1985 and 1994, bullet 
     resistant materials helped save the lives of more than 2,000 
     law enforcement officers in the United States;
       (6) the number of law enforcement officers who were killed 
     in the line of duty would significantly decrease if every law 
     enforcement officer in the United States has access to an 
     armor vest; and
       (7) the Executive Committee for Indian Country Law 
     Enforcement Improvements reports that violent crime in Indian 
     country has risen sharply, despite decreases in the national 
     crime rate, and has concluded that there is a ``public safety 
     crisis in Indian country.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to save lives of 
     law enforcement officers by helping State and local law 
     enforcement departments provide officers with armor vests.

     SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

       (a) Grant Authorization.--The Director of the Bureau of 
     Justice Assistance is authorized to make grants to States, 
     units of local government, and Indian tribes to purchase 
     vests for use by law enforcement officers.
       (b) Uses of Funds.--Awards shall be distributed directly to 
     the State, unit of local government or Indian tribe and shall 
     be used for the purchase of not more than 1 armor vest for 
     each policy officer in a jurisdiction.
       (c) Preferential Consideration.--In awarding grants under 
     this Act, the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance 
     may give preferential consideration, where feasible, to 
     applications from jurisdictions that--
       (1) have the greatest need for armor vests based on the 
     percentage of officers in the department who do not have 
     access to a vest;
       (2) have a mandatory wear policy that requires on-duty 
     officers to wear armor vests whenever feasible; and
       (3) have a violent crime rate at or above the national 
     average as determined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
       (d) Minimum Amount.--Unless all applications submitted by 
     any State or unit of local government pursuant to subsection 
     (a) have been funded, each qualifying State or unit of local 
     government shall be allocated in each fiscal year pursuant to 
     subsection (a) not less than 0.25 percent of the total amount 
     appropriated in the fiscal year for grants pursuant to 
     that subsection.
       (e) Maximum Amount.--A qualifying State or unit of local 
     government may not receive more than 5 percent of the total 
     amount appropriated in each fiscal year for grants pursuant 
     to subsection (a).
       (f) Matching Funds.--The portion of the costs of a program 
     provided by a grant under subsection (a) may not exceed 50 
     percent, unless the Director of the Bureau of Justice 
     Assistance determines a case of fiscal hardship and waives, 
     wholly or in part, the requirement under this subsection of a 
     non-Federal contribution to the costs of a program.
       (g) Allocation of Funds.--At least half of the funds 
     awarded under this program shall be allocated to units of 
     local government or Indian tribes with fewer than 100,000 
     residents.

     SEC. 4. APPLICATIONS.

       (a) State and Tribal Applications.--To request a grant 
     under this Act, the chief executive of a State shall submit 
     an application to the Director of the Bureau of Justice 
     Assistance, signed by the Attorney General of the State 
     requesting the grant, or Indian tribe shall submit an 
     application to the Director, in such form and containing such 
     information as the Director may reasonably require.
       (b) Local Applications.--To request a grant under this Act, 
     the chief executive of a unit of local government shall 
     submit an application to the Director of the Bureau of 
     Justice Assistance, signed by the chief law enforcement 
     officer of the unit of local government requesting the grant, 
     in such form and containing such information as the Director 
     may reasonably require.
       (c) Renewal.--A State, unit of local government, or Indian 
     tribe is eligible to receive a grant under this Act every 3 
     years.
       (d) Regulations.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director of the Bureau of Justice 
     Assistance shall promulgate regulations to implement this 
     section (including the information that must be included and 
     the requirements that the States and units of local 
     government must meet) in submitting the applications required 
     under this section.

     SEC. 5. PROHIBITION OF PRISON INMATE LABOR.

       Any State, unit of local government, or Indian tribe that 
     receives financial assistance provided using funds 
     appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may not 
     purchase equipment or products manufactured using prison 
     inmate labor.

     SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

       For purposes of this Act--
       (1) The term ``armor vest'' means--
       (A) body armor which has been tested through the voluntary 
     compliance testing program operated by the National Law 
     Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center of the National 
     Institute of Justice (NIJ), and found to comply with the 
     requirements of NIJ Standard 0101.03, or any subsequent 
     revision of such standard; or
       (b) body armor which exceeds the specifications stated in 
     subparagraph (A), and which the law enforcement officer's 
     agency or department permits the officer to wear on duty.
       (2) The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, the 
     District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin 
     Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
       (3) The term ``qualifying State or unit of local 
     government'' means any State or unit of local government 
     which has submitted an application for a grant, or in which 
     an eligible entity has submitted an application for a grant, 
     which meets the requirements prescribed by the Director of 
     the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the conditions set out 
     in section 3.
       (4) Indian Tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the same 
     meaning as in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination 
     and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(e)).

     SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for 
     each fiscal year to carry out this program.

     SEC. 8. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

       In the case of any equipment or products that may be 
     authorized to be purchased with financial assistance provided 
     using funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this 
     Act, it is the sense of the Congress that entities receiving 
     the assistance should, in expending the assistance, purchase 
     only American-made equipment and products.

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