The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) will use the following definitions in providing guidance to your jurisdiction regarding the purchase of armor vests under the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998—

(a) The term program will refer to the activities administered by BJA to implement the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998;

(b) The terms you and your will refer to a jurisdiction applying to this program;

(c) The term armor vest under this program will mean a vest that has met the performance standards established by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) as published in NIJ Standard 0101.03, or any formal revision of this standard;

(d) The term State will be used to mean each of the 50 States, as well as the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands;

(e) The term unit of local government will mean a county, municipality, town, township, village, parish, borough, or other unit of general government below the State level;

(f) The term Indian tribe has the same meaning as in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(e)) which defines Indian tribe as meaning any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.);

(g) The term law enforcement officer will mean any officer, agent, or employee of a State, unit of local government, or Indian tribe authorized by law or by a government agency to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, or investigation of any violation of criminal law, or authorized by law to supervise sentenced criminal offenders; and

(h) The term mandatory wear policy will mean a policy formally adopted by a jurisdiction that requires a law enforcement officer to wear an armor vest throughout each duty shift whenever feasible.

This program has been developed to assist your jurisdiction with selecting and obtaining high quality armor vests in the quickest and easiest manner available. The program will assist your jurisdiction in determining which type of armor vest will best suit your jurisdiction's needs, and will ensure that each armor vest obtained through this program meets the NIJ standard.

(a) Your jurisdiction will be provided with model numbers for armor vests that meet the NIJ Standard in order to ensure your jurisdiction receives the approved vests in the quickest manner;

(b) If you are a State or unit of local government, your jurisdiction will be required to partner with the Federal government in this program by paying at least 50 percent of the total cost for each armor vest purchased under this program. These matching funds may not be obtained from another Federal source;

(c) If you are an Indian tribe, your jurisdiction will be required to partner with the Federal government in this program by paying at least 50 percent of the total cost for each armor vest purchased under this program. Total cost will include the cost of the armor vests, taxes, shipping, and handling. You may use any funds appropriated by Congress toward the performing of law enforcement functions on your lands as matching funds for this program or any funds appropriated by Congress for the activities of any agency of your tribal government;

(d) BJA will conduct outreach to ensure that at least half of all funds available for armor vest purchases be given to units of local government with fewer than 100,000 residents;

(e) Each State government is responsible for coordinating the needs of law enforcement officers across agencies within its own jurisdiction and making one application per fiscal year;

(f) Each unit of local government and Indian tribe is responsible for coordinating the needs of law enforcement officers across agencies within its own jurisdiction and making one application per fiscal year;

(g) Your individual jurisdiction may not receive more than 5 percent of the total program funds in any fiscal year;

(h) The 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, together with their units of local government, each may not receive less than one half percent and not more than 20 percent of the total program funds during a fiscal year;

(i) The United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, together with their units of local government, each may not receive less than one fourth percent and not more than 20 percent of the total program funds during a fiscal year; and

(j) If your jurisdiction also is applying for a Local Law Enforcement Block Grant (LLEBG), then you will be asked to certify:

(1) Whether LLEBG funds will be used to purchase vests; and, if not,

(2) Whether your jurisdiction considered using LLEBG funds to purchase vests, but has concluded it will not use its LLEBG funds in that manner.

BJA may give preferential consideration, at its discretion, to an application from a jurisdiction that—

(a) Has the greatest need for armor vests based on the percentage of law enforcement officers who do not have access to an armor vest;

(b) Has, or will institute, a mandatory wear policy that requires on-duty law enforcement officers to wear armor vests whenever feasible; and

(c) Has a violent crime rate at or above the national average as determined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; or

(d) Has not received a Local Law Enforcement Block Grant.

BJA will issue Guidelines regarding the process to follow in applying to the program for grants of armor vests.