The bill outlines the requirements and limitations imposed on law enforcement agencies regarding facial recognition searches as established by the Act Relative to Justice, Equity and Accountability in Law Enforcement in the Commonwealth. Effective July 1, 2021, law enforcement agencies must submit written requests for facial recognition searches based on specific justifications, such as a court order or emergency situations. The department of state police is exempt from this written request requirement when performing investigatory functions related to identification documents. Additionally, law enforcement agencies are mandated to document and report specific information about these searches to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) on a quarterly basis.

The bill also details the annual reporting requirements for EOPSS, which must publish the documentation received from law enforcement agencies on its website. This includes the total number of facial recognition search requests and the outcomes of those searches, disaggregated by agency. The report for the period between September 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024, indicates that the department of state police received 45 requests for facial recognition technology, with 37 being court-ordered and 7 due to exigent circumstances. The report highlights that all searches utilized the department's database, Issuance 360, and that no requests were made to the Federal Bureau of Investigation during this timeframe.