Body Armor Safety Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.8538 | Sponsor: Rep. Nehls, Troy E. (R-TX)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Body Armor Safety Act of 2022
This bill requires body armor (for use by law enforcement) to comply with certain safety requirements in order to be imported into the United States. It also establishes new criminal offenses related to fraud in connection with such body armor.

To ensure body armor complies with safety standards, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Body Armor Safety Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON IMPORTATION.

    (a) In General.--The President shall take such steps as may be 
necessary to ensure that no body armor for law enforcement use may be 
imported into the customs territory of the United States unless it 
meets the applicable requirements of and receives recognition of 
compliance from the Compliance Testing Program of the National 
Institute of Justice as described in section 232 of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 162).
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``customs territory of the United States'' has 
        the meaning given the term in General Note 2 of the Harmonized 
        Tariff Schedule of the United States.
            (2) The term ``body armor'' means ballistic-resistant or 
        stab-resistant panels or plates designed to protect the torso 
        and worn in a carrier against the body.

SEC. 3. CRIMINAL PENALTY.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 47 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1041. Fraud in connection with body armor
    ``(a) Forgery.--Whoever forges, counterfeits, or falsely alters any 
National Institute of Justice Standard certificate, validation, mark, 
or any other recognition of compliance with respect to any body armor 
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or 
both.
    ``(b) Misleading Claims of Compliance.--Whoever engages in any 
conduct with intent to convey false or misleading claims of compliance 
with respect to any body armor such that recognition of compliance may 
reasonably be believed to have been issued by the National Institute of 
Justice or its Compliance Testing program shall be fined under this 
title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
    ``(c) Body Armor Defined.--In this section, the term `body armor' 
means ballistic-resistant or stab-resistant panels or plates designed 
to protect the torso and worn in a carrier against the body.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 47 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``1041. Fraud in connection with body armor.''.

SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON EVALUATIONS AND TESTING.

    Section 232 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 162) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Limitation.--Law enforcement technology products manufactured 
at any company on the Entity List of the Export Administration 
Regulations of the Bureau of Industry Security may not be tested or 
evaluated or otherwise certified, validated, marked, or recognized as 
in compliance with standards established and maintained by the Office 
in accordance with the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act 
of 1995 (Public Law 104-113).''.
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