Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to introduce a bill that would regulate of body armor sales.
The bill would reportedly require the FBI to establish standards for who is allowed to buy body armor, however, the proposal would likely include exceptions for police and other public safety officials.
The NY Post reports that anyone without a criminal conviction can currently obtain a bulletproof vest in all 50 states except for convicted criminals:
They can also be purchased online or by phone everywhere but Connecticut, where the law requires that the purchases be made in person.
Federal law has prohibited convicted criminals from buying body armor since 2002, and violators can face up to three years in prison.
Anyone who commits a crime while wearing body armor can also face stiffer penalties under current federal law, and most states also make it illegal to wear it while committing a crime.
In New York it’s a felony punishable by up to four years if the culprit is wearing a bulletproof vest while carrying a firearm or committing a violent crime.