[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 146 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12565-S12566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 OFFICER DALE CLAXTON BULLET RESISTANT POLICE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ACT 
                                OF 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                JEFFORDS (AND LEAHY) AMENDMENT NO. 3825.

  Mr. JEFFORDS (for himself and Mr. Leahy) proposed an amendment to the 
bill (S. 2253) to establish a matching grant program to help State and 
local jurisdictions purchase bullet resistant equipment for use by law 
enforcement departments; as follows:

       Beginning on page 8, strike line 17 and all that follows 
     through page 9, line 6, and insert the following:

     vise sentenced criminal offenders.

              ``Subpart C--Grant Program For Video Cameras

     ``SEC. 2521. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

       ``(a) In General.--The Director of the Bureau of Justice 
     Assistance is authorized to make grants to States, units of 
     local government, and Indian tribes to purchase video cameras 
     for use by State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies 
     in law enforcement vehicles.
       ``(b) Uses of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section 
     shall be--
       ``(1) distributed directly to the State, unit of local 
     government, or Indian tribe; and
       ``(2) used for the purchase of video cameras for law 
     enforcement vehicles in the jurisdiction of the grantee.
       ``(c) Preferential Consideration.--In awarding grants under 
     this subpart, the Director of the Bureau of Justice 
     Assistance may give preferential consideration, if feasible, 
     to an application from a jurisdiction that--
       ``(1) has the greatest need for video cameras, based on the 
     percentage of law enforcement officers in the department do 
     not have access to a law enforcement vehicle equipped with a 
     video camera;
       ``(2) has a violent crime rate at or above the national 
     average as determined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 
     or
       ``(3) has not received a block grant under the Local Law 
     Enforcement Block Grant program described under the heading 
     `Violent Crime Reduction Programs, State and Local Law 
     Enforcement Assistance' of the Departments of Commerce, 
     Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies 
     Appropriations Act, 1998 (Public Law 105-119).
       ``(d) Minimum Amount.--Unless all eligible applications 
     submitted by any State or unit of local government within 
     such State for a grant under this section have been funded, 
     such State, together with grantees within the State (other 
     than Indian tribes), shall be allocated in each fiscal year 
     under this section not less than 0.50 percent of the total 
     amount appropriated in the fiscal year for

[[Page S12566]]

     grants pursuant to this section, except that the United 
     States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern 
     Mariana Islands shall each be allocated 0.25 percent.
       ``(e) Maximum Amount.--A qualifying State, unit of local 
     government, or Indian tribe may not receive more than 5 
     percent of the total amount appropriated in each fiscal year 
     for grants under this section, except that a State, together 
     with the grantees within the State may not receive more than 
     20 percent of the total amount appropriated in each fiscal 
     year for grants under this section.
       ``(f) Matching Funds.--The portion of the costs of a 
     program provided by a grant under subsection (a) may not 
     exceed 50 percent. Any funds appropriated by Congress for the 
     activities of any agency of an Indian tribal government or 
     the Bureau of Indian Affairs performing law enforcement 
     functions on any Indian lands may be used to provide the non-
     Federal share of a matching requirement funded under this 
     subsection.
       ``(g) Allocation of Funds.--At least half of the funds 
     available under this subpart shall be awarded to units of 
     local government with fewer than 100,000 residents.

     ``SEC. 2522. APPLICATIONS.

       ``(a) In General.--To request a grant under this subpart, 
     the chief executive of a State, unit of local government, or 
     Indian tribe shall submit an application to the Director of 
     the Bureau of Justice Assistance in such form and containing 
     such information as the Director may reasonably require.
       ``(b) Regulations.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this subpart, 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, units of 
     local government, and Indian tribes must meet) in submitting 
     the applications required under this section.
       ``(c) Eligibility.--A unit of local government that 
     receives funding under the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant 
     program (described under the heading `Violent Crime Reduction 
     Programs, State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance' of the 
     Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, 
     and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998 (Public Law 
     105-119)) during a fiscal year in which it submits an 
     application under this subpart shall not be eligible for a 
     grant under this subpart unless the chief executive officer 
     of such unit of local government certifies and provides an 
     explanation to the Director that the unit of local government 
     considered or will consider using funding received under the 
     block grant program for any or all of the costs relating to 
     the purchase of video cameras, but did not, or does not 
     expect to use such funds for such purpose.

     ``SEC. 2523. DEFINITIONS.

       ``For purposes of this subpart--
       ``(1) the term `State' means each of the 50 States, the 
     District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
     United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the 
     Northern Mariana Islands;
       ``(2) the term `unit of local government' means a county, 
     municipality, town, township, village, parish, borough, or 
     other unit of general government below the State level;
       ``(3) 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)); and
       ``(4) the term `law enforcement officer' means any officer, 
     agent, or employee of a State, unit of local government, or 
     Indian tribe authorized by law or by a government agency to 
     engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, or 
     investigation of any violation of criminal law, or authorized 
     by law to supervise sentenced criminal offenders.''.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1001(a) of 
     the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 
     U.S.C. 3793(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (23) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(23) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
     part Y--
       ``(A) $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 
     2001 for grants under subpart A of that part;
       ``(B) $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 
     2001 for grants under subpart B of that part; and
       ``(B) $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 
     2001 for grants under subpart C of that part.''.

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