Congressmen Chris Deluzio and Andrew Garbarino Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Program to Help Local Law Enforcement Afford to Buy Bulletproof Vests

(File Photo of Congressman Chris Deluzio)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington, D.C.) According to a release from Congressman Chris Deluzio’s office, Deluzio (D-PA-17) and Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY-02) introduced the new Bipartisan Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program Expansion Act today. The introduction of this bill would increase the amount that can be reimbursed to states, units of local law enforcement and federally recognized Native American tribes when they participate in the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Program. Deluzio and a police chief in his district, the 17th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, had a meeting in which the Bipartisan Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program Expansion Act came about in which that 17th Congressional District of Pennsylvania police chief mentioned that the price of bulletproof vests for his police force were skyrocketing. According to that same release from Deluzio’s office, more specifically, the bill would: 

  • Increase the rate of reimbursement from 50% to 60% for states, units of local law enforcement, and federally recognized Native American tribes participating in the BVP Program 
  • Increase the authorization for the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program to $60 million a year 

The introduction of the Bipartisan Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program Expansion Act got support from the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), The International Union of Police Associations (IUPA) and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. The Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program reimburses states, units of local government and federally recognized Indian tribes for up to 50 percent of the cost of body armor vests purchased for law enforcement officers after being created by the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998. Over 13,000 jurisdictions have participated in the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program since 1999, with a total of $573 million in federal funds for the purchase of over 1.5 million body armor vests.