Bill to Provide Better-Fitting Body Armor to Female Officers Advances
Legislation to ensure that female law enforcement officers at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have proper body armor, advanced in the Senate.
The DHS Better Ballistic Body Armor Act (S. 4305) passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee during National Police Week and will now be considered by the full Senate.
The bill was proposed after the FBI reported that body armor currently used by DHS personnel, has a design flaw that renders it less effective in protecting female officers and some male officers. The design flaw allows bullets to ricochet off the chest of the armor and strike the throat area, potentially killing law enforcement personnel. Since the FBI conducted those tests in 2022, “improved ballistic body armor has been created and is available” but is currently not used by DHS.
The legislation requires DHS agencies to provide all law enforcement personnel with body armor that has appropriate coverage, fit, and functionality.
“My bill will ensure that all officers, regardless of gender or body type, will have access to the most advanced and effective safety equipment,” said Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI), a co-sponsor of the legislation.
“I am proud to support the courageous women of the Department of Homeland Security who selflessly protect and serve our nation with distinction,” said Senator Katie Britt (R-AL), another co-sponsor of the bill. “Just as they safeguard our homeland, they deserve equipment that will keep them safe in the line of duty.”
Concerns Raised Over Female Body Armor for Years
Female law enforcement officers have been sounding the alarm over body armor for years.
According to the Criminal Justice Technology Testing and Evaluation Center, more than 60 percent of female law enforcement officers feel their body armor does not fit properly, and report that it causes pain, abrasions, and other discomforts.
“Females are not small males," said Beverly Kimball, project engineer for female U.S. Army aviation combat uniforms. "We have specific proportions that require designs for fit and function for uniforms as well as equipment.”
And in 2020, the DHS Science and Technology division reported that focus groups of female officers found existing body armor designs inadequate, as they did not conform well to their body contours.
That feedback spurred the National Institute of Justice to update standards and testing for female body armor.