The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program provides local and state governments with 50% of the cost of purchasing a protective vest for law enforcement officers. CCPOA was successful at ensuring that the Program includes stab resistant vests for correctional officers.

Legislation Supported by CCPOA

• CCPOA supports H.R.3711, the Cotton' Morgan Bulletproof Vest Act of 2007.  This legislation would eliminate the matching requirement for bulletproof armor vest purchases for officers who work in high security areas and transport inmates.  This legislation is currently pending in the House subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

• CCPOA supports full funding for this program in Appropriation bills for the Department of Justice.

Grant Awards for the State of California
(Please note it is unclear how many of these vests were purchased for state correctional officers and how many vests were purchased for other state law enforcement officers.)

• nothing in 2007

• $585,108 in 2006 to purchase 12,644 vests
• $577,553 in 2005 to purchase 10,360 vests
• $881,696 in 2004 to purchase 19,124 vests
• nothing in 2003
• $200,307 in 2002 to purchase 7,750 vests
• $1,275,000 in 2001 to purchase 20,946 vests
• $296,375 in 2000 to purchase 3,910 vests
• $194,000 in 1999 to purchase 8,907 vests

Appropriations

The Fiscal Year 20O8 Omnibus Appropriation Bill, H.R.2764, provided $25,850,000 for the Vest Grant Partnership Program.

Authorization of Grant Program

The Bulletproof Vest Grant Program was reauthorized until 2009 in public law 109-162, as strongly supported by CCPOA. The program was funded at $30 million in the Fiscal Year 2006 appropriation bill for Justice. The state and local matching requirement of 50% was waived for any law enforcement agency that purchased defective Zylon-based body armor with federal funds between October 1, 1998 and September 30, 2005 and seeks to replace those vests.

Program Fact Sheet