Aaron Salter, Jr., Responsible Body Armor Possession Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Aaron Salter, Jr., Responsible Body Armor Possession Act adds a new 18 U.S.C. 935. It makes it unlawful for a person to purchase, own, or possess enhanced body armor unless an exception applies. Exceptions cover possession by or under the authority of the United States, a state, a state subdivision, a Tribe, or a Tribal law enforcement agency; covered law enforcement officers, including qualified active and retired law enforcement officers and corrections officers; and enhanced body armor lawfully possessed before the section takes effect. Enhanced body armor is defined as body armor, including a helmet or shield, with ballistic resistance meeting or exceeding NIJ RF1 armor or the applicable NIJ standard at the time of purchase, ownership, or possession. Knowing violations are punishable by a fine, imprisonment up to five years, or both.
Who Benefits and How
Law enforcement officers benefit because civilians generally could not newly purchase or possess enhanced body armor that may make armed attacks harder to stop. Corrections officers benefit because they are included in the covered officer exception while civilians face the ban. Public safety agencies benefit from government-authority exceptions allowing official purchase, ownership, or possession. Communities affected by mass shootings benefit if access to high-performance armor used in attacks is reduced.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Civilian armor purchasers are barred from buying enhanced body armor after the effective date unless an exception applies. Body armor retailers lose civilian sales of RF1-level or stronger helmets, shields, and armor. People knowingly violating the ban face fines, imprisonment for up to five years, or both. Federal prosecutors and ATF enforcement staff must handle new enhanced-body-armor possession cases.
Key Provisions
- Prohibits civilian purchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor.
- Provides exceptions for federal, state, local, Tribal, law enforcement, corrections, and grandfathered possession.
- Adds an enhanced body armor definition tied to NIJ RF1 or stronger ballistic performance.
- Authorizes fines and imprisonment up to five years for knowing violations.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Bans civilian purchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor meeting or exceeding NIJ RF1 ballistic performance, with exceptions for government authority, law enforcement, corrections officers, and armor lawfully possessed before the effective date, and adds penalties of up to five years.
Key Policy Areas
Firearms, Public Safety, Criminal Justice
Primary Purpose
Bans civilian purchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor meeting or exceeding NIJ RF1 ballistic performance, with exceptions for government authority, law enforcement, corrections officers, and armor lawfully possessed before the effective date, and adds penalties of up to five years.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Law enforcement officers
- Corrections officers
- Public safety agencies
- Communities affected by mass shootings
Identified Costs
- Civilian armor purchasers
- Body armor retailers
- People knowingly violating the ban
- ATF enforcement staff
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Kennedy of New York (for himself, Mr. Johnson of …
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
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.
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