[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 2, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4704-S4705]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CAMPBELL (for himself, Mr. Leahy, and Mr. Hatch):
  S. 764. A bill to extend the authorization of the Bulletproof Vest 
Partnership Grant Program; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today Senator Leahy and I are 
introducing the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2003, a bill 
to reauthorize an existing matching grant program to help State, 
tribal, and local jurisdictions purchase armor vests for use by law 
enforcement officers. This bill represents another in a series of law 
enforcement 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 Chairman 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.
  Two years ago, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, 
the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-517), and 
before that in 1998, P.L. 105-181, which we were privileged to 
introduce. Since its inception in 1999, this highly successful 
Department of Justice grant program has provided law enforcement 
officers in 16,000 jurisdictions with nearly 500,000 vests.
  There are far too many law enforcement officers who patrol our 
streets and neighborhoods without the proper protective gear against 
violent criminals. Each year, on average, more than 60 law enforcement 
officers are killed by gunfire in the line of duty. The felonious use 
of guns and the increased use of larger caliber handguns and assault 
rifles has created an even greater risk for law enforcement officers 
and an increasing need for higher threat level, better quality, and 
more comfortable vests that can be worn in a variety of circumstances. 
The use of body armor to provide protection against the use of deadly 
force and assaults as well as its demonstrated value in protecting 
officers involved in vehicle accidents, provides compelling reasons for 
officers to be equipped with and to wear body armor.

  In 2002, 149 Federal, State and local law enforcement officers gave 
their lives in the line of duty, well below the decade-long average of 
165 deaths annually, and a major drop from 2001 when a total of 230 
officers were killed. A number of factors contributed to this reduction 
including the availability of better equipment and the increased use of 
bullet-resistant vests.
  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. Currently, more than 850,000 men and women who serve this 
nation as our guardians of law and order do so at a great personal 
risk. Every year, about 1 in 15 officers is assaulted, 1 in 46 officers 
is injured, and 1 in 5,255 officers is killed in the line of duty 
somewhere in America every other day. There are few communities in this 
country that have not been impacted by the words ``officer down.''
  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 2,700 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, especially in America's smaller 
communities. The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2003 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 continuing to authorize up to $50 million 
per year for the grant program within the U.S. Department of Justice. 
In addition, the program provides 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.
  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.
  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. 764

       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 2003''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 1001(a)(23) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control 
     and Safe Streets Act of 1968

[[Page S4705]]

     (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(23)) is amended by striking ``2004'' and 
     inserting ``2007''.
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