United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee 1 D cosponsors

S 4553 — Aaron Salter, Jr., Responsible Body Armor Possession Act

Last action — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced May 18, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 16% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

The bill bans civilians from purchasing or possessing enhanced body armor.

This bill makes it illegal for civilians to buy or own enhanced body armor, with certain exceptions for law enforcement. There are penalties for violations, including fines and potential imprisonment.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

4 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill establishes a ban on the purchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor by civilians and defines enhanced body armor in existing law.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 921

    `(39) The term `enhanced body armor' means body armor, including a helmet or shield, the ballistic resistance of which meets or exceeds the ballistic performance of RF1 armor, determined using such standard as the National Institute of Justice has in effect at the time at which a person purchases, owns, or possesses such armor.`

    A definition of 'enhanced body armor' is added to existing law.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 924

    `(9) Whoever knowingly violates section 935 shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.`

    A penalty for violating the new ban on enhanced body armor is established.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 44

    `Sec. 935. Ban on purchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor by civilians (a) Definition.--In this section, the term 'covered law enforcement officer'-- (1) has the meaning given the term 'qualified law enforcement officer' in section 926B and the term 'qualified retired law enforcement officer' in section 926C; and (2) includes corrections officers. (b) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection (c), it shall be unlawful for a person to purchase, own, or possess enhanced body armor. (c) Exceptions.--Subsection (b) shall not apply to-- (1) a purchase, ownership, or possession by or under the authority of-- (A) the United States or any department or agency of the United States; (B) a State, or a department, agency, or political subdivision of a State; or (C) a Tribe or law enforcement agency of a Tribe; (2) a covered law enforcement officer; or (3) enhanced body armor that was lawfully possessed by any person before the date of enactment of this section.`

    A new section is added that prohibits civilians from purchasing, owning, or possessing enhanced body armor, with specific exceptions.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 44

    `The table of sections for chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: `935. Ban on purchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor by civilians.`

    The table of sections for chapter 44 is updated to include the new section regarding enhanced body armor.

Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 546 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (546)

546 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 546 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors S 4553?
S 4553 is sponsored by Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (Democratic).
What is the current status of S 4553?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced May 18, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 4553?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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