Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2015
Public Law 114-155 · S. 125 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on May 16, 2016 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Cosponsors (24): Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Christopher Coons,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to extend through FY2020 the authorization of appropriations for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) program.
(Sec. 3) It requires the transfer to the general fund of the Treasury, no later than January 31, 2023, of all funds appropriated for the BVP program for FY2016-FY2020 that are not obligated on or before December 31, 2022.
(Sec. 4) The bill expresses the sense of Congress that amounts made available to carry out the BVP program should be made available through the end of the fiscal year following the one for which the amounts are appropriated and should not be made available until expended.
(Sec. 5) It prohibits the use of federal funds under another grant program to pay or defer the cost of the matching funds requirement for the BVP program.
(Sec. 6) It requires a state, local, or tribal government that receives a BVP program grant to comply with BVP program requirements, to have a written policy requiring uniformed patrol officers to wear an armor vest or body armor, and to use the funds to purchase vests or body armor that meet performance standards established by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
(Sec. 7) The bill allows preferential consideration to a BVP program grant applicant from a jurisdiction that provides armor vests that are uniquely fitted to law enforcement officers, including individual female officers.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.
- May 16, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-155.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- May 13, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- May 10, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 125.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Goodlatte moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 420.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 114-544.
- Apr 20, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Apr 8, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Discharged.
- May 15, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
- May 8, 2015FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- May 7, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- May 6, 2015FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Mar 26, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 32.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley without amendment. Without written report.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jan 8, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S101)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 1214SenateSen. Mike LeeR-UT· offered May 6, 2015Agreed to
To modify the authorization of appropriations.
May 6, 2015: Amendment SA 1214 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.