A bill named in honor of Cortez Patrol Officer Dale Claxton, who was killed in the line of duty on May 29, 1998, was introduced by U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell on Thursday.

The "Officer Dale Claxton Bullet Resistant Police Protective Equipment Act of 2001" would authorize a $40 million annual Department of Justice matching grant program to assist state and local law-enforcement agencies to purchase bulletproof equipment for vehicles and officers.

Claxton was fatally shot through the windshield of his patrol car by one of three fugitives who stole a water truck and went on a shooting rampage through Cortez in 1998.

"As a former deputy sheriff, I am personally aware of the dangers which law-enforcement officers face on the front lines every day," Campbell said in a release.

"One way in which the federal government can improve their safety is to help them acquire bullet-resistant glass and other equipment for patrol cars.

"These partnership grants are especially crucial for officers who serve in small local jurisdictions that often lack the funds to provide their officers with the life-saving equipment they need."

The bill was one of three introduced by Campbell on Thursday.

The "Stolen Gun Penalty Enhancement Act of 2001" would increase the prison sentence from 10 to 15 years for those convicted of possessing, transporting or shipping a stolen firearm or stolen ammunition.