II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2413

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.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

APRIL 12, 2000

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) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bulletproof Vest Part5 nership Grant Act of 2000’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 Congress finds that—
2

•S 2413 IS

1 (1) the number of law enforcement officers who

2 are killed in the line of duty would significantly de3 crease if every law enforcement officer in the United

4 States had the protection of an armor vest;

5 (2) according to studies, between 1985 and

6 1994, 709 law enforcement officers in the United

7 States were killed in the line of duty;

8 (3) the Federal Bureau of Investigation esti9 mates that the risk of fatality to law enforcement of10 ficers while not wearing an armor vest is 14 times

11 higher than for officers wearing an armor vest;

12 (4) according to studies, between 1985 and

13 1994, bullet-resistant materials helped save the lives

14 of more than 2,000 law enforcement officers in the

15 United States; and

16 (5) the Executive Committee for Indian Coun17 try Law Enforcement Improvements reports that

18 violent crime in Indian country has risen sharply,

19 despite a decrease in the national crime rate, and

20 has concluded that there is a ‘‘public safety crisis in

21 Indian country’’.
3

•S 2413 IS

1 SEC. 3. MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM FOR LAW ENFORCE2 MENT ARMOR VESTS.

3 (a) MATCHING FUNDS.—Section 2501(f) of part Y

4 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets

5 Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796ll(f)) is amended—

6 (1) by striking ‘‘The portion’’ and inserting the

7 following:

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The portion’’;

9 (2) by striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and all that fol10 lows through the period at the end of the first sen11 tence and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)—

12 ‘‘(A) may not exceed 50 percent; and

13 ‘‘(B) shall equal 50 percent, if—

14 ‘‘(i) such grant is to a unit of local

15 government with fewer than 100,000 resi16 dents;

17 ‘‘(ii) the Director of the Bureau of

18 Justice Assistance determines that the

19 quantity of vests to be purchased with such

20 grant is reasonable; and

21 ‘‘(iii) such portion does not cause such

22 grant to violate the requirements of sub23 section (e).’’; and

24 (3) by striking ‘‘Any funds’’ and inserting the

25 following:

26 ‘‘(2) INDIAN ASSISTANCE.—Any funds’’.
4

•S 2413 IS

1 (b) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—Section 2501(g) of

2 part Y of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe

3 Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796ll(g)) is amended to

4 read as follows:

5 ‘‘(g) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—Funds available

6 under this part shall be awarded, without regard to sub7 section (c), to each qualifying unit of local government

8 with fewer than 100,000 residents. Any remaining funds

9 available under this part shall be awarded to other quali10 fying applicants.’’.

11 (c) APPLICATIONS.—Section 2502 of part Y of title

12 I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of

13 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796ll–1) is amended by adding at the

14 end the following:

15 ‘‘(d) APPLICATIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH PUR16 CHASES.—If an application under this section is submitted

17 in conjunction with a transaction for the purchase of

18 armor vests, grant amounts under this section may not

19 be used to fund any portion of that purchase unless, before

20 the application is submitted, the applicant—

21 ‘‘(1) receives clear and conspicuous notice that

22 receipt of the grant amounts requested in the appli23 cation is uncertain; and
5

•S 2413 IS

1 ‘‘(2) expressly assumes the obligation to carry

2 out the transaction, regardless of whether such

3 amounts are received.’’.

4 (d) DEFINITION OF ARMOR VEST.—Section 2503(1)

5 of part Y of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and

6 Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796ll–2(1)) is

7 amended—

8 (1) by striking ‘‘means body armor’’ and insert9 ing the following: ‘‘means—

10 ‘‘(A) body armor’’;

11 (2) by adding ‘‘or’’ at the end; and

12 (3) by adding at the end the following:

13 ‘‘(B) body armor that has been tested

14 through the voluntary compliance testing pro15 gram, and found to meet or exceed the require16 ments of NIJ Standard 0115.00, or any revi17 sion of such standard;’’.

18 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section

19 1001(a)(23) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and

20 Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(23)) is

21 amended by inserting before the period at the end the fol22 lowing: ‘‘, and $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002

23 through 2004’’.

Æ