To prohibit the purchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor by civilians, with exceptions.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Kennedy of New York (for himself, Mr. Johnson of …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The "Aaron Salter, Jr., Responsible Body Armor Possession Act" makes it illegal for civilians to buy, own, or possess military-grade body armor that meets or exceeds RF1 ballistic protection standards (the highest level of protection against rifle fire). The bill is named after a security guard who was killed in the 2022 Buffalo mass shooting while wearing lower-grade body armor; the shooter wore enhanced body armor that helped him survive return fire. This law aims to prevent mass shooters and other criminals from using military-grade protective equipment to increase the lethality of their attacks.
Who Benefits and How
Law enforcement agencies and officers at all levels (federal, state, local, and tribal) benefit by maintaining exclusive access to enhanced body armor for official duties, including corrections officers. Current owners of enhanced body armor are grandfathered in, meaning they can keep what they already own legally. Federal, state, and tribal government entities also retain the ability to purchase and use this equipment without restriction. These exemptions ensure that protective gear remains available to those who need it for public safety work while restricting access for potential bad actors.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Civilians who want to purchase enhanced body armor for personal protection, sport shooting, or other lawful purposes face a complete ban with criminal penalties of up to 5 years in prison. Body armor manufacturers and retailers lose the civilian market for their highest-grade products, reducing potential revenue. Private security companies that currently use or would want to use enhanced body armor for high-risk protective assignments face increased costs and operational restrictions, as they would need to rely on lower-grade protection or employ only qualified law enforcement officers. Gun ranges and tactical training facilities may also see reduced business from customers who previously trained with enhanced protective equipment.
Key Provisions
- Adds a new federal crime (18 U.S.C. § 935) prohibiting civilian purchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor, punishable by fine and/or up to 5 years imprisonment
- Defines "enhanced body armor" as any body armor (including helmets and shields) meeting or exceeding RF1 ballistic performance standards set by the National Institute of Justice
- Exempts federal, state, tribal, and local government entities and their agencies from the prohibition
- Exempts qualified law enforcement officers (active and retired) and corrections officers from the ban
- Grandfathers in any enhanced body armor lawfully possessed before the law takes effect, allowing current owners to keep their equipment
- Does not restrict lower-grade body armor that civilians commonly use for sport shooting, hunting, or personal protection
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Prohibit civilian purchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor (RF1 level or higher) with exceptions for law enforcement and government use
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Restrict access to military-grade protective equipment by civilians while maintaining law enforcement and government exemptions"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Law enforcement agencies
- Federal and state government entities
- Current owners of enhanced body armor (grandfathered)
Likely Burden Bearers
- Civilians seeking to purchase enhanced body armor
- Body armor manufacturers and retailers (reduced civilian market)
- Security professionals and private security companies
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Has the meaning given the term qualified law enforcement officer in section 926B and the term qualified retired law enforcement officer in section 926C; and includes corrections officers
Body armor, including a helmet or shield, the ballistic resistance of which meets or exceeds the ballistic performance of RF1 armor, determined using such standard as the National Institute of Justice has in effect at the time at which a person purchases, owns, or possesses such armor
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology