[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 46 (Wednesday, April 12, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2629-S2630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CAMPBELL (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Thurmond, 
        Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Coverdell, Mr. 
        Robb, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Reed, and Mr. Reid):
  S. 2413. A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
Act of 1968 to clarify the procedures and conditions for the award of 
matching grants for the purchase of armor vests; to the Committee on 
the Judiciary.


             bulletproof vest partnership grant act of 2000

 Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today Senator Leahy and I are 
introducing the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2000, a bill 
to expand an existing matching grant program to help State, tribal, and 
local jurisdictions purchase armor vests for the use by law enforcement 
officers. This bill represents another in a series of law enforcement 
legislative initiatives on which I have had the privilege to work with 
my friend and colleague from Vermont, Senator Leahy. The Senator brings 
to the table invaluable experience in this area, from his distinguished 
service as a State's attorney in Vermont, a nationally recognized 
prosecutor, and as the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary 
Committee. We are pleased to be joined in this effort by the 
distinguished chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator 
Hatch, and Senators Thurmond, Bingaman, Jeffords, Sarbanes, Coverdell, 
Robb, Schumer, Reed, and Reid.
  Two years ago, Congress passed and the President signed into law the 
Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-181), which we 
were privileged to introduce. This highly successful Department of 
Justice grant program has already funded 92,000 new bulletproof vests 
for police officers across the country.
  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 every day on the front lines 
protecting our communities.
  Today, more than ever, violent criminals have bulletproof vests and 
deadly 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 2000 would continue the partnership with state and local law 
enforcement agencies to make sure that every police officer who needs a 
bulletproof vest gets one. It would do so by authorizing up to $50 
million per year for the grant program within the U.S. Department of 
Justice. In addition, the program would provide 50-50 matching grants 
to state and local law enforcement agencies and Indian tribes with 
under 100,000 residents to assist in purchasing bulletproof vests and 
body armor. Finally, this bill will make the purchase of stabproof 
vests eligible for grant awards.
  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. 
The United States Senate can help, and I urge our colleagues to support 
prompt passage of this legislation.
  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. 2413

       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 2000''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) the number of law enforcement officers who are killed 
     in the line of duty would significantly decrease if every law 
     enforcement officer in the United States had the protection 
     of an armor vest;
       (2) according to studies, between 1985 and 1994, 709 law 
     enforcement officers in the United States were killed in the 
     line of duty;
       (3) the Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that the 
     risk of fatality to law enforcement officers while not 
     wearing an armor vest is 14 times higher than for officers 
     wearing an armor vest;
       (4) 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; and
       (5) the Executive Committee for Indian Country Law 
     Enforcement Improvements reports that violent crime in Indian 
     country has risen sharply, despite a decrease in the national 
     crime rate, and has concluded that there is a ``public safety 
     crisis in Indian country''.

     SEC. 3. MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ARMOR 
                   VESTS.

       (a) Matching Funds.--Section 2501(f) of part Y of title I 
     of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 
     U.S.C. 3796ll(f) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``The portion'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) In general.--The portion'';
       (2) by striking ``subsection (a)'' and all that follows 
     through the period at the end of the first sentence and 
     inserting ``subsection (a)--
       ``(A) may not exceed 50 percent; and
       ``(B) shall equal 50 percent, if--
       ``(i) such grant is to a unit of local government with 
     fewer than 100,000 residents;
       ``(ii) the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance 
     determines that the quantity of vests to be purchased with 
     such grant is reasonable; and
       ``(iii) such portion does not cause such grant to violate 
     the requirements of subsection (e).''; and
       (3) by striking ``Any funds'' and inserting the following:
       ``(2) Indian assistance.--Any funds''.
       (b) Allocation of Funds.--Section 2501(g) of part Y of 
     title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
     1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796ll(g)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(g) Allocation of Funds.--Funds available under this part 
     shall be awarded, without regard to subsection (c), to each 
     qualifying unit of local government with fewer than 100,000 
     residents. Any remaining funds available under this part 
     shall be awarded to other qualifying applicants.''.
       (c) Applications.--Section 2502 of part Y of title I of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3796ll-1) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Applications in Conjunction With Purchases.--If an 
     application under this section is submitted in conjunction 
     with a transaction for the purchase of armor vests, grant 
     amounts under this section may not be used to fund any 
     portion of that purchase unless, before the application is 
     submitted, the applicant--
       ``(1) receives clear and conspicuous notice that receipt of 
     the grant amounts requested in the application is uncertain; 
     and
       ``(2) expressly assumes the obligation to carry out the 
     transaction, regardless of whether such amounts are 
     received.''.
       (d) Definition of Armor Vest.--Section 2503(1) of part Y of 
     title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
     1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796ll-2(1)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``means body armor'' and inserting the 
     following: ``means--
       ``(A) body armor'';
       (2) by adding ``or'' at the end; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) body armor that has been tested through the voluntary 
     compliance testing program, and found to meet or exceed the 
     requirements of NIJ Standard 0115.00, or any revision of such 
     standard;''.
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1001(a)(23) 
     of title I of the Omnibus

[[Page S2630]]

     Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3793(a)(23)) is amended by inserting before the period at the 
     end the following: ``, and $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2002 through 2004''.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am proud to join the Senior Senator from 
Colorado in introducing the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 
2000. We worked together closely and successfully with the Chairman of 
the Judiciary Committee in the last Congress to pass the Bulletproof 
Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998 into law. I am pleased that Senator 
Hatch is again an original cosponsor of this bill. I am also pleased 
that Senators Schumer, Reid of Nevada, Sarbanes, Robb, Bingaman, 
Thurmond, Coverdell, and Reed of Rhode Island are joining us as 
original cosponsors.
  According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, more than 40 
percent of the 1,182 officers killed by a firearm in the line of duty 
since 1980 could have been saved if they had been wearing body armor. 
Indeed, the FBI estimates that the risk of fatality to officers while 
not wearing body armor is 14 times higher than for officers wearing it.
  To better protect our Nation's law enforcement officers, Senator 
Campbell and I introduced the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 
1998. President Clinton signed our legislation into law on June 16, 
1998 (public law 105-181). The law created a $25 million, 50 percent 
matching grant program within the Department of Justice to help state 
and local law enforcement agencies purchase body armor for fiscal years 
1999-2001.
  In its first year of operation, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership 
Grant Program funded 92,000 new bulletproof vests for our Nation's 
police officers, including 361 vests for Vermont police officers. 
Applications are now available at the program's web site at http://
vests.ojp.gov/ for this year's funds. The entire process of submitting 
applications and obtaining federal funds is completed through this web 
site.
  The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2000 builds on the 
success of this program by doubling its annual funding to $50 million 
for fiscal years 2002-2004. It also improves the program by 
guaranteeing jurisdictions with fewer than 100,000 residents receive 
the full 50-50 matching funds because of the tight budgets of these 
smaller communities and by making the purchase of stab-proof vests 
eligible for grant awards to protect corrections officers and sheriffs 
who face violent criminals in close quarters in local and county jails.
  More than ever before, police officers in Vermont and around the 
country face deadly threats that can strike at any time, even during 
routine traffic stops. Bulletproof vests save lives. It is essential 
that we update this law so that many more of our officers who are 
risking their lives everyday are able to protect themselves.
  In the last Congress, we created the Bulletproof Vest Partnership 
Grant Program in part in response to the tragic Drega incident along 
the Vermont and New Hampshire border. On August 19, 1997, Federal, 
State and local law enforcement authorities in Vermont and New 
Hampshire had cornered Carl Drega, after hours of hot pursuit. This 
madman had just shot to death two New Hampshire state troopers and two 
other victims earlier in the day. In a massive exchange of gunfire with 
the authorities, Drega lost his life.
  During that shootout, all federal law enforcement officers wore 
bulletproof vests, while some state and local officers did not. For 
example, Federal Border Patrol Officer John Pfeifer, a Vermonter, who 
was seriously wounded in the incident. If it was not for his 
bulletproof vest, I would have been attending Officer Pfeifer's wake 
instead of visiting him, and meeting his wife and young daughter in the 
hospital a few days later. I am relieved that Officer John Pfeifer is 
doing well and is back on duty today.
  The two New Hampshire state troopers who were killed by Carl Drega 
were not so lucky. They were not wearing bulletproof vests. Protective 
vests might not have been able to save the lives of those courageous 
officers because of the high-powered assault weapons used by this 
madman. We all grieve for the two New Hampshire officers who were 
killed. Their tragedy underscore the point that all of our law 
enforcement officers, whether federal, state or local, deserve the 
protection of a bulletproof vest. With that and lesser-known incidents 
as constant reminders, I will continue to do all I can to help prevent 
loss of life among our law enforcement officers.
  The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2000 will provide state 
and local law enforcement agencies with more of the assistance they 
need to protect their officers. Our bipartisan legislation enjoys the 
endorsement of many law enforcement organizations, including the 
Fraternal Order of Police and the National Sheriffs' Association. In my 
home State of Vermont, the bill enjoys the strong support of the 
Vermont State Police, the Vermont Police Chiefs Association and many 
Vermont sheriffs, troopers, game wardens and other local and state law 
enforcement officials.
  Since my time as a State prosecutor, I have always taken a keen 
interest in law enforcement in Vermont and around the country. Vermont 
has the reputation of being one of the safest states in which to live, 
work and visit, and rightly so. In no small part, this is due to the 
hard work of those who have sworn to serve and protect us. And we 
should do what we can to protect them, when a need like this one comes 
to our attention.
  Our Nation's law enforcement officers put their lives at risk in the 
line of duty everyday. No one knows when danger will appear. 
Unfortunately, in today's violent world, even a traffic stop may not 
necessarily be ``routine.'' Each and every law enforcement officer 
across the Nation deserves the protection of a bulletproof vest.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that each and 
every law enforcement agency in Vermont and across the Nation can 
afford basic protection for their officers.
                                 ______