NCJ Number
174290
Date Published
1999
Length
2 pages
Annotation
The Fiscal Year 1999 Appropriations Act, Public Law 105-181, provides $25 million for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act (BVPGA) of 1998, administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and this fact sheet outlines how to apply for funds.
Abstract
The purpose of the BVPGA is to protect the lives of police officers by helping States and units of local and tribal governments purchase bulletproof vests. An applicant may request funds to purchase one bulletproof vest per police officer per fiscal year. Jurisdictions eligible to apply for funds are general-purpose units of local government, federally recognized Indian tribes, the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The entire application and payment process will occur through the Internet. Beginning in March 1999, eligible applicants will be able to register at the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program's website. While online, applicants can read about vest models that meet National Institute of Justice standards and link to vest vendors. After a jurisdiction receives approved vests, payment will be requested through the Internet and funds will be deposited directly into the jurisdiction's bank account. The following special requirements of the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program are noted: (1) at least half the funds disbursed through the program must go to units of government serving fewer than 100,000 residents; and (2) each applicant must match at least 50 percent of the cost of its order.