Existing law requires local law enforcement agencies to conspicuously post on their websites all current standards, policies, practices, operating procedures, and education and training materials that would otherwise be available to the public under certain circumstances.
SB 524 addresses law enforcement agencies’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create reports, such as AI software that analyzes camera footage or audio recordings to generate a report. SB 524 requires law enforcement agencies to adopt a policy governing the use of AI in preparing reports. The policy must include the following requirements.
If a law enforcement officer or agent uses AI, fully or in part, to draft a report, every page of the report must identify the specific AI program(s) used and prominently state:
“This report was written either fully or in part using artificial intelligence.”
The officer or agent who prepared the report must sign it to verify that they personally reviewed the report and the facts it states are true and correct.
SB 524 requires that all drafts of the report (including earlier AI‐generated versions) must be retained for as long as the final report is retained. Further, SB 524 prohibits drafts generated using AI from constituting an officer’s statement for legal purposes.
SB 524 requires that the AI software program used to draft a report must maintain an audit trail that, at a minimum, identifies who used AI to create the report, who made edits or changes, and, where applicable, any video footage used to generate content (e.g., body cameras). A contracted vendor providing AI services to a law enforcement agency may not share, sell, or use the agency’s data, except in limited circumstances.
SB 524 requires that law enforcement agencies adopt the required policy by January 1, 2026.
(SB 524 adds Section 13663 to the Penal Code.)