DHS Better Ballistic Body Armor Act

Bill: 118-s-4305
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2024-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Government information and archives
Military procurement, research, weapons development
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination

Summary:
action_date: 2024-05-09
text: 

DHS Better Ballistic Body Armor Act

This bill requires ballistic resistant body armor issued to agents and officers of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to meet certain requirements related to fit, coverage, and testing on female body shapes. 
Ballistic resistant body armor
 means ballistic protection for the torso worn over or under clothing (e.g., bulletproof vests). 

(Testing by the Federal Bureau of Investigation found that certain soft body armor, when worn by women, allowed projectiles to skip off the armor panel in the chest area and project into the unprotected throat area. New body armor models that mitigate this issue are now available and in use by some federal agencies.)

Under the bill, ballistic resistant body armor procured by DHS for agents and officers whose body shapes are most closely associated with female must

be made to conform and provide the best possible coverage to individual wearers, allowing for either flat or shaped front panels;

have enhanced and advanced fit technology that stops bullets from skipping off the chest at an upward angle; and

have passed certain testing by the National Institute of Justice, including testing on female-shaped molds. 

Within three years of the bill’s enactment, all DHS agents and officers whose body shapes are most closely associated with female must be issued body armor that meets these requirements.

action_date: 2024-12-02
text: 

DHS Better Ballistic Body Armor Act

This bill requires ballistic resistant body armor issued to agents and officers of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to meet certain requirements related to fit, coverage, and testing on female body shapes. 
Ballistic resistant body armor
 means ballistic protection for the torso worn over or under clothing (e.g., bulletproof vests). 

(Testing by the Federal Bureau of Investigation found that certain soft body armor, when worn by women, allowed projectiles to skip off the armor panel in the chest area and project into the unprotected throat area. New body armor models that mitigate this issue are now available and in use by some federal agencies.)

Under the bill, ballistic resistant body armor procured by DHS for its agents and officers must

be made to conform and provide the best possible coverage to individual wearers, allowing for either flat or shaped front panels;

have enhanced and advanced fit technology that stops bullets from redirecting off the chest at an upward angle; and

have passed certain testing by the National Institute of Justice, including testing on female-shaped molds. 

Within three years of the bill’s enactment, all DHS agents and officers whose duties require body armor must be issued body armor that meets these requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2024-12-03
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2024-12-03
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2024-12-03
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2024-12-02
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S6759)
action_date: 2024-12-02
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2024-12-02
text: The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2024-12-02
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S6758-6759)
action_date: 2024-09-09
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 492.
action_date: 2024-09-09
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Peters with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 118-214.
action_date: 2024-09-09
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Peters with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 118-214.
action_date: 2024-05-15
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2024-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2024-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate