In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. “Executive Director” means the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy. “Fund” means the Protective Body Armor Fund. “Local law enforcement agency” means the police department of a county or municipal corporation in the State. “Protective body armor” means a vest or similar article that is: designed to be worn on the body to protect against blunt force trauma associated with the impact of a firearm projectile; and manufactured of bullet resistant fabric that conforms to National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard 0101.03 (or the current edition) and V-50 ballistic testing requirements.

There is a Protective Body Armor Fund. The purposes of the Fund are: to assist local law enforcement agencies to: acquire protective body armor for each police officer of the local law enforcement agency; and replace protective body armor at least every 10 years, or sooner if testing indicates a need for replacement; and upon the fulfillment of the purposes specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection, to assist the Division of Parole and Probation of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to acquire protective body armor for its agents with the remainder of the funds. The Executive Director shall administer the Fund. The Fund consists of money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund. As authorized by the Executive Director, the Treasurer shall make payments out of the Fund to local law enforcement agencies and the Division of Parole and Probation. A local law enforcement agency and the Division of Parole and Probation may use State money provided under this subtitle only to purchase or replace protective body armor.

The Executive Director shall establish procedures for local law enforcement agencies to apply for money from the Fund. A local law enforcement agency that applies for money from the Fund shall provide the Executive Director with the following information: the number of violent crime incidents committed within the jurisdiction of the local law enforcement agency for the last 2 years; the current number of sworn officers; the current number of sworn officers not assigned protective body armor; the number and age of protective body armor units currently in use by the local law enforcement agency; the number of protective body armor units requested: for officers not currently assigned protective body armor; and for officers assigned protective body armor in need of replacement due to age or wear; the regulations of the local law enforcement agency that relate to the use of protective body armor; the local law enforcement agency’s budget request for supplies and equipment for the current and last 2 fiscal years; and any other information that the Executive Director considers necessary to make grants for protective body armor.

In accordance with the State budget, the Executive Director shall make grants to local law enforcement agencies to purchase and replace protective body armor based on the comparative needs of each local law enforcement agency as determined by the criteria set forth in § 4-103(b) of this subtitle. A single grant may not initially exceed 10% of the total money budgeted in the Fund for any fiscal year. After the initial allocation of money, the Executive Director may distribute any money remaining in the Fund on an equitable basis, as determined by the criteria set forth in § 4-103(b) of this subtitle. After the allocations of money made in accordance with subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the Executive Director may distribute any of the money remaining in the Fund to the Division of Parole and Probation to assist the Division to acquire protective body armor for its agents.

A local law enforcement agency shall use the money distributed under this subtitle as an addition to and not as a substitute for money appropriated from sources other than the Fund to acquire or replace protective body armor. Each local law enforcement agency shall spend money from its own sources to acquire or replace protective body armor in an amount at least equal to the amount of State money awarded from the Fund. After a local law enforcement agency receives notice from the Executive Director of a grant, the local law enforcement agency shall submit to the Executive Director proof of expenditures on protective body armor. After certifying the expenditures under paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Executive Director may authorize the reimbursement of one-half of the local law enforcement agency’s expenditures on protective body armor, up to a maximum of the amount of the grant.

To reduce the cost of protective body armor, the Executive Director should encourage the bulk purchase of protective body armor.

On or before September 1 of each year, the Executive Director shall report to the Governor and, subject to § 2-1257 of the State Government Article, to the General Assembly on: the distribution of money under this subtitle; and the ratio of protective body armor to police officers in each local jurisdiction of the State that applied for money from the Fund.