The bill introduces CHAPTER 5.3 to Title 12 of the General Laws, titled "Automated License Plate Readers," which establishes regulations for the use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) by municipal and state law enforcement agencies. It defines an ALPR as an electronic device used to capture and analyze license plate data for investigative purposes. The bill requires municipal law enforcement agencies to obtain city or town council approval before seeking funding, acquiring, or using ALPRs, while state law enforcement agencies must adopt operational policies before engaging in similar activities. The use of ALPRs is strictly limited to official law enforcement purposes, such as identifying stolen vehicles, and prohibits capturing images of vehicle occupants or passersby. Data collected must be purged within 30 days unless related to an active investigation, and agencies must maintain a public log of their ALPR usage.

Additionally, the bill mandates that law enforcement agencies collect and maintain specific data regarding ALPR use, including the number of vehicles monitored and any complaints received. Agencies must also keep a public list of census tracts where ALPRs are installed and their usage dates. Existing ALPRs must undergo an approval process within 120 days of the bill's effective date to continue operation. The bill outlines remedies and penalties for violations, allowing the attorney general to seek injunctions against non-compliant agencies, and specifies that any unlawfully collected data must be deleted and cannot be used as evidence, except in violation-related cases. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.