II

Calendar No. 652

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, Mr. REID, Mr. CLELAND, Mr. MCCONNELL,

Mr. ASHCROFT, Mr. KOHL, Mr. BUNNING, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. EDWARDS, and Mr. ABRAHAM) introduced the following bill; which was read

twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JUNE 29, 2000

Reported by Mr. HATCH, without amendment

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,
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S 2413 RS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bulletproof Vest Part3 nership Grant Act of 2000’’.

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

5 Congress finds that—

6 (1) the number of law enforcement officers who

7 are killed in the line of duty would significantly de8 crease if every law enforcement officer in the United

9 States had the protection of an armor vest;

10 (2) according to studies, between 1985 and

11 1994, 709 law enforcement officers in the United

12 States were killed in the line of duty;

13 (3) the Federal Bureau of Investigation esti14 mates that the risk of fatality to law enforcement of15 ficers while not wearing an armor vest is 14 times

16 higher than for officers wearing an armor vest;

17 (4) according to studies, between 1985 and

18 1994, bullet-resistant materials helped save the lives

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

20 United States; and

21 (5) the Executive Committee for Indian Coun22 try Law Enforcement Improvements reports that

23 violent crime in Indian country has risen sharply,

24 despite a decrease in the national crime rate, and

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

26 Indian country’’.
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S 2413 RS

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’’.
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S 2413 RS

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
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S 2413 RS

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’’.
Calendar No. 652

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2413

A BILL

To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe

Streets Act of 1968 to clarify the procedures andconditions for the award of matching grants forthe purchase of armor vests.

JUNE 29, 2000

Reported without amendment