Des Moines, IA- A bill that was passed unanimously by the Iowa House may protect Iowa law enforcement from faulty products, and may also help an Iowa company that makes body armor. Radio Iowa reports that Centerville-based RMA was founded by a retired police officer, who was also a former marine. Representative Austin Harris of Moulton toured the company about a month ago. "They were telling us about the challenges they were facing in terms of competition from countries like China and Russia," Harris says. "....There's this Chinese company that had stolen their intellectual property, was remanufacturing their product, even with their logo on it." Harris says the ballistic plate inside the Chinese version of the product is made with cheap materials that do not provide adequate protection. The bill would require Iowa law enforcement agencies using tax dollars to buy body armor to purchase products that meet the standards of the National Institute of Justice. "The National Institute of Justice is a research agency at the Department of Justice," Harris says, "and this manufacturer but all the other manufacturers in the United States of this kind of armament do meet that certification standard." Law enforcement agencies need to periodically replace bulletproof vests, as the gear does have an expiration date. Experts at the National Research Institute of Justice say most standard body armor that is properly stored and maintained has a lifespan of about 5 years.