Montco PA State Rep. Looks To Ban Body Armor With Proposed Legislation

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A state lawmaker from southeastern Pennsylvania is looking to ban civilians from possessing body armor, but it is unclear whether many other Keystone State lawmakers would line up behind the measure.

State Rep. Timothy Briggs, a Democrat representing parts of Montgomery County, is planning to propose legislation that would outlaw body armor use by citizens of the commonwealth.

Briggs penned a sponsorship memo seeking supporters for his planned measure back in the spring. Legislative records do not yet show an actual bill having been officially proposed as of early July.

In his memo from late May, however, Briggs wrote that he is hoping to gain some supporters that would back his plan to have the state ban the purchase or possession of body armor by average citizens.

"Since the House majority is unwilling to move any reasonable firearm reform legislation, maybe we can move legislation to outlaw the possession of body armor and give our law enforcement a fighting chance," Briggs wrote. "The use body armor is becoming common among mass shooters who use these military weapons to murder children and the elderly."

Briggs said he was moved to act after the majority in the General Assembly refused to act on any further legislation involving gun reform following mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, both cases of which involved gunmen using tactical gear.

"We are at an inflection point where we either become part of the solution or we have blood on our hands," Briggs wrote.

It's unclear whether there is any other support for a body armor ban in Pennsylvania at this time.

Across the nation, there are few laws currently on the books that ban the purchase and possession of body armor.

The blog, Bulletproof Zone, offers a state-by-state breakdown on body armor legislation for those who are interested.

While the issue varies between the states, there is a federal statute in effect, but it only bans convicted felons from possessing body armor.

It is also unclear what type of effect a body armor ban might actually have on crime.

Briggs said his proposal was in part inspired by some recent mass shootings in the country, but criminologists note that body armor is not used on a frequent basis by criminals.

"Mass shootings are horrific — don't get me wrong — but they're such an insignificant part of the violence we're confronting," Warren Eller, a public policy professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, recently told the Pennsylvania Capital-Start in an interview. "The probability of having an armed offender wearing a body vest get into a firefight with law enforcement is really, remarkably insignificant."

Gun rights supporters generally frown on the idea of a body armor ban, but the idea of prohibiting the public from owning this type of gear has also gained opposition from other groups, such as journalists, with some news reporting organizations saying such a ban might affect reporters who cover things like wars, protests and other dangerous situations from obtaining an important protective measure, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star article.

The story also says that many experts agree that body armor bans will not likely deter mass shooters from using tactical equipment or reduce gun violence in general.

"Body armor is so widely available, and in such large quantities, that local bans will simply push buyers into neighboring states," the article states, quoting an opponent of the concept.

For now, it's unclear when Briggs plans to officially introduce his body armor legislation. More about the proposal can be read here.