Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998

Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to: (1) make grants to States, units of local government, and Indian tribes to purchase armor vests for use by State, local, and tribal law enforcement officers; and (2) give preferential consideration to applications from jurisdictions that have the greatest need, have or will institute a mandatory wear policy, have a violent crime rate at or above the national average, or have not received a block grant under the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant Program.

Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) minimum and maximum apportionments; (2) 50 percent matching funds (and specifies that any funds appropriated by the Congress for the activities of any agency of an Indian tribal government or the Bureau of Indian Affairs performing law enforcement functions on Indian lands may be used to provide the non-Federal share of a matching requirement funded under this Act); (3) the allocation of at least half the funds to units of local government with fewer than 100,000 residents; and (4) applications and eligibility requirements;.

Authorizes appropriations.

(Sec. 4) Expresses the sense of the Congress that entities receiving assistance under this Act should, in expending such assistance, purchase only American-made equipment and products.