Bill > S736

This bill establishes new requirements for law enforcement entities in Massachusetts regarding traffic and pedestrian stops, aiming to prevent "racial profiling," which is defined as differential treatment based on protected characteristics like race, ethnicity, or gender, unless those characteristics are part of a specific and reliable description of a suspect. It mandates that law enforcement officers provide a "receipt" to individuals stopped for traffic or pedestrian violations, detailing the reason for the stop, its duration, location, and officer information, along with instructions for commendations or complaints. Furthermore, the bill requires the collection of detailed data for every stop, frisk, or search, including the reason for the encounter, time, location, demographics of those involved (based on officer observation), whether a frisk or search occurred (and if consensual), if contraband was found, and the outcome of the stop (warning, citation, arrest, or no action). Police departments must review this data quarterly to identify and address any racial or other disparities, and any electronic systems used for issuing citations or recording incidents must be designed to collect and transmit this data to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. The Secretary of Public Safety and Security will maintain a database of this information, publish annual summary reports, and contract with an independent organization for biennial analyses to assess the impact of race, ethnicity, gender, and age in law enforcement interactions, with all data and reports to be made public. Individuals charged with a crime based on evidence from a stop will have the right to access relevant data, with certain personal identifying information protected. The Attorney General is empowered to enforce these provisions through civil action.