Jan-11-95 (EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS)  THE ANTI-COP-KILLER BULLET ACT

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      Record. The printed Congressional Record produced by the
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PART      CONGRESSIONAL RECORD (EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS)
DATE      January 11, 1995
PAGE                                                       PAGE E84
TITLE               THE ANTI-COP-KILLER BULLET ACT
                         --------------------
TEXT                   HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK
                            OF CALIFORNIA
                   IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                     WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1995
    Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation that
  would impose a tax and import controls on bullets expressly
  designed to penetrate the bulletproof vests of law enforcement
  personnel.
    This legislation, the Anti-Cop-Killer Bullet Act, would impose
  the same tax which currently exists on controlled firearms, such as
  submachine guns and sawed-off shotguns, to high-technology cop
  killer bullets like the rhino and black talon bullet.  If enacted,
  the bullet manufacturer would be taxed at the rate of $200 for each
  bullet - a tax so high that the bullet obviously would never be
  produced.
                                                               PAGE E84
    Over 10 years ago, a Teflon-coated bullet designed to pierce soft
  body armor was introduced.  Due to strong public reaction, Congress
  in 1986 enacted the very first law to ban a round of ammunition.
  Since then other bullets manufactured from different materials but
  designed with the same purpose have been introduced.  Only after
  threatening or actually carrying out our threat to ban these
  cop-killer bullets, have we in Congress been successful at stopping
  them from reaching our streets.
    However, as soon as we in Congress go through the motions of
  preventing a cop-killer bullet from going into production, along
  comes another manufacturer with a new bullet designed to penetrate
  protective armor.  This pattern will continue as long as bullet
  manufacturers are allowed to exploit the loophole that exists in
  the 1986 law banning cop-killer bullets.  Under the law, only metal
  alloy and Teflon-coated bullets were singled out leaving the door
  wide open for companies such as the Signature Products Corporation
  to develop plastic-based ammunition like the rhino bullet.
    My legislation would prevent these unscrupulous bullet
  manufacturers from taking advantage of this loophole in existing
  Federal law.  Rather than attempting to add another amendment to
  the 1986 law, the Anti-Cop-Killer Bullet Act proposes an
  across-the-board tax on all bullets expressly manufactured or
  advertised to penetrate normal quality bulletproof vests worn by
  law enforcement personnel.  The tax at $200 per bullet would surely
  make the business of manufacturing cop-killer bullets an economic
  impossibility.
                                                               PAGE E84
    America`s law enforcement officers are already out-gunned as it
  is.  Having to worry about a bullet piercing their protective armor
  should be the last thing on their mind.
    By passing the Anti-Cop-Killer Bullet Act, we will be giving our
  law enforcement the support they need.  I urge my colleagues to
  join with me to pass this legislation so that we can prevent these
  cop-killer bullets from endangering the lives of America`s law
  enforcement officers.
                                                               PAGE E84
OUTLINE     1. THE ANTI-COP-KILLER BULLET ACT                   E84
               2. HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK                       E84
                 OF CALIFORNIA                                  E84
                 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                E84
                 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1995                    E84

