Washington D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is introducing a bipartisan bill to ensure female law enforcement agents have properly fitting body armor.
This week, Sens. Ossoff and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the bipartisan Female Officers Ballistic Protection Act to ensure women across Federal law enforcement agencies have improved ballistic body armor that keep them safe on the job.
The bipartisan bill would require all Federal departments and agencies that employ law enforcement agents or officers to purchase body armor that is specifically designed to fully protect female officers, including agents and officers in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and more.
According to the Criminal Justice Technology Testing and Evaluation Center, more than 60 percent of female law enforcement officers reported their body armor does not fit properly, and report that it causes pain, abrasions, and other discomforts.
“Ill-fitting body armor threatens the health and safety of law enforcement agents. As I continue leading efforts to ensure female military servicemembers have well-fitting body armor, I’m now introducing this bipartisan legislation with Senator Cornyn to equip female law enforcement officers with the same,” Sen. Ossoff said.
“Properly fitting equipment is essential to keep law enforcement officers safe when putting themselves in harm’s way,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation will help equip female law enforcement officers with the body armor they need to do their job safely and protect Texans.”
The bipartisan Female Officers Ballistic Protection Act is backed by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), National Association of Police Officers (NAPO), and the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA).
“Throughout our Nation’s history, women have played a key role in supporting public safety initiatives across all levels of government,” said Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) National President Mathew Silverman.“As FLEOA President, I am truly grateful the Female Officers Ballistic Protection Act is moving forward, as the brave women of law enforcement deserve to have the equipment they need to make it home safe to their families. This piece of legislation should be a top priority.”
“The FOP has been a leader on soft body armor issues since first partnered with Senator Patrick Leahy to establish the Bulletproof Vest Partnership program. The FOP also pressed for improved standards to ensure a proper fit for our female officers and its inclusion in the BVP program. With the recent discovery of the “skip effect”—where a projectile striking a vest designed for a female may, at certain angles, skip off the vest into the area of the neck, it is clear this flaw must be addressed,” said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police. “Some soft body armor manufacturers have already amended their designs to address this flaw, and we are proud to partner with Senators Ossoff and Cornyn to ensure that all Federal law enforcement officers have access to improved ballistic body armor that offers better coverage, fit, and functionality. Soft body armor is often the difference between life and death and we need to ensure that our men and women in the field have the highest level of protection from ballistic threats.”
Earlier this month, a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Sen. Ossoff to provide female law enforcement officers specifically within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with improved ballistic body armor passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC).
Sen. Ossoff’s new push to upgrade Federal law enforcement body armor comes as he continues working to upgrade female body armor for U.S. servicemembers as well.
In 2022, Sens. Ossoff, Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) successfully secured a bipartisan provision in the national defense bill to help ensure that women in the military have quality and proper-fitting gear, which came after he met with servicemembers directly and heard about ill-fitting chest plates and other body armor.
Click here to read the Female Officers Ballistic Protection Act.
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