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119-hr-8656119th CongressWALLET

Ballistic Armor Made in America Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]

Introduced

Summary

Domestic sourcing and origin transparency for ballistic-resistant body armor. This bill would require companies to disclose every country involved in making body armor and its ballistic fibers and would limit Department of Justice purchases to armor using U.S.-sourced fibers except narrow exceptions.

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  • DOJ procurement would be barred from using funds to buy armor containing fibers grown or processed outside the United States unless the Attorney General finds U.S. armor unavailable at U.S. market prices or the fibers meet the Berry Amendment and the Kissell Amendment.
  • The National Institute of Justice would require submitters to disclose every country of manufacture and fiber origin within 60 days and add those disclosures to its Compliant Products List within 90 days. Products that use fibers sourced abroad could not use "Made in America" labeling.
  • The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers would provide "Know Before You Buy" training for state and local governments that apply for or receive DOJ funding for armor, and the bill clarifies definitions for ballistic-resistant, hard, and soft armor.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Transparency rules for body armor

This bill would make makers and submitters tell NIJ every country where a listed body armor model is made and where its ballistic fibers were grown or processed. NIJ would add those country disclosures to its Compliant Products List within 90 days, and update the list within 30 days whenever a model is newly certified. NIJ would also decide if advanced replacement materials must be disclosed. Products on the NIJ list that say their fibers come from outside the United States would not be allowed to use “Made in America” labels. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers would provide a "Know Before You Buy" training to state and local grant recipients about these disclosure rules.

Justice Department must buy U.S.-made armor

This bill would stop the Justice Department from using funds to buy ballistic-resistant body armor that is made from or contains ballistic fibers grown, reprocessed, reused, recycled, or produced outside the United States. The Attorney General could waive the ban only if U.S.-made armor cannot be procured as and when needed at United States market prices, or if the fibers meet the Berry Amendment (10 U.S.C. 4862) and the Kissel Amendment (6 U.S.C. 453b). The new rule would take effect upon enactment and would be inserted into federal procurement rules as a new provision.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]

LA • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Latta, Robert E. [R-OH-5]

    OH • R

    Sponsored 10/15/2026

  • Rep. Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10]

    NC • R

    Sponsored 5/4/2026

  • Rep. Biggs, Sheri [R-SC-3]

    SC • R

    Sponsored 5/4/2026

  • Rep. Murphy, Gregory F. [R-NC-3]

    NC • R

    Sponsored 5/7/2026

  • Rep. Hunt, Wesley [R-TX-38]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1]

    NC • D

    Sponsored 5/20/2026

  • Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2]

    MI • R

    Sponsored 6/18/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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