DHS Better Ballistic Body Armor Act
The DHS Better Ballistic Body Armor Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to procure ballistic resistant body armor that is specifically designed to fit female agents and officers, with enhanced fit, coverage, and safety features. Armor must be NIJ-certified and listed on the NIJ Compliant Products List, and must meet detailed testing requirements intended to better accommodate female body shapes and prevent bullets from deflecting upward into the throat or spinal area. The bill also creates a periodic reporting requirement—starting within one year of enactment and continuing for two subsequent years—to track issuance, noncompliance, and overall compliance by DHS component agencies, with a final aggregated report to Congress. A key timeline provision states that, within three years, all DHS agents and officers whose duties require body armor must be equipped with armor meeting these standards.
Key Points
- 1The Secretary of Homeland Security must require armor that (a) is designed to fully protect female body shapes, (b) fits individual wearers for optimalFront coverage, and (c) is verifiably fitted and compliant with ASTM fit standards.
- 2Armor must include enhanced design to prevent bullets from deflecting upward into the throat region or spinal area.
- 3Armor must be NIJ-certified and listed on the NIJ Compliant Products List, and must pass NIJ ballistic standards with specific testing criteria, including: clay/gelatin-mold testing for nonplanar panel contact, soft front panels on female-shaped molds, consideration of shaping features, angled shots, and an angled chest shot to address neckline deflection concerns; and any NIJ-recommended tests added after enactment.
- 4Annual reporting requirements for DHS component agencies: within one year of enactment and annually for the next two years, detailing the number of female officers issued armor, units discontinued for noncompliance, compliant units, and the percentage issued that comply (disaggregated by duty station); an aggregate report to Congress must follow within 30 days of receiving all reports.
- 5Effective date: within three years, all DHS agents and officers whose duties require body armor must be equipped with armor that meets the requirements in section 3(a).