SB-524 • 2026

Law enforcement agencies: artificial intelligence.

Education Technology

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Arreguín
Last action: 2025-10-10
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 587, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide details about how long reports and drafts should be kept or what specific information AI-generated reports must include beyond a disclosure statement and signature.

Law Enforcement Agencies and Artificial Intelligence

This law requires police departments in California to have rules about using artificial intelligence when making reports, including keeping records and disclosing the use of AI.

What This Bill Does

Requires each police department to make a rule that says if an officer uses AI to write a report, they must include certain information like who made it and how.
Makes sure that any first draft created by AI is kept for as long as the final report is kept.
Does not allow drafts of reports made with AI to be used in place of official statements from officers.
Requires police departments using AI to keep a record showing who used AI to make a report and other important details.
Stops companies that work with police departments from sharing or selling information given by the department for use with AI, unless allowed.

Who It Names or Affects

Law enforcement agencies in California
Officers working at these agencies

Terms To Know

Audit trail: A record that shows who did what and when it happened, like a history of actions taken.
State-mandated local program: When the state government tells local governments they must do something new or different.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify exactly how long reports and drafts should be kept.
It is unclear what specific information AI-generated reports must include beyond a disclosure statement and signature.

Bill History

2025-10-10 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 587, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-10 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-22 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m.
2025-09-10 California Legislative Information
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 2803.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 50. Noes 17. Page 3005.) Ordered to the Senate.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Read third time and amended.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (August 29).
2025-08-20 California Legislative Information
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-07-17 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-17 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 2.) (July 16).
2025-07-17 California Legislative Information
Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 49. Noes 15. Page 2578.)
2025-07-02 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2025-07-02 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2025-06-25 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-06-11 California Legislative Information
June 17 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
2025-06-09 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on PUB. S. and P. & C.P.
2025-06-04 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1446.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1203.) (May 23).
2025-05-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
April 21 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-10 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 21.
2025-04-08 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 709.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-03-27 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 8.
2025-03-26 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-03-05 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-02-21 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
2025-02-20 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 524, Arreguín.
Law enforcement agencies: artificial intelligence.
Existing law generally provides for the regulation of law enforcement agencies, including, among other things, requiring each local law enforcement agency to conspicuously post on their internet websites all current standards, policies, practices, operating procedures, and education and training materials that would otherwise be available to the public under specified circumstances.
This bill would require each law enforcement agency to maintain a policy to require an official report prepared by a law enforcement officer or any member of a law enforcement agency that is generated using artificial intelligence either fully or partially to include specified information, including a disclosure statement and the signature of the law enforcement officer or member of a law enforcement agency who prepared the official report, as specified. If an
officer or any member of an agency uses artificial intelligence to create an official report, the bill would require the first draft created to be retained for as long as the official report is retained. The bill would, except for the official report, prohibit a draft of any report created with the use of artificial intelligence from constituting an officer’s statement. The bill would require an agency utilizing artificial intelligence to generate a first draft or official report to maintain an audit trail that identifies, at a minimum, certain things, including the person who used artificial intelligence to create a report. The bill would prohibit a contracted vendor from sharing, selling, or otherwise using information provided by a law enforcement agency to be processed by artificial intelligence, except as provided. The bill would define terms for purposes of these provisions.
By requiring local law enforcement agencies to adopt a new policy, this bill would
impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

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