Bill Text: IL HB2620 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Changes the definition of "recurrent requester" to mean a person who, in the 12 months immediately preceding the request, has submitted to the same public body (i) a minimum of 40 (instead of 50) requests for records, (ii) a minimum of 10 (instead of 15) requests for records within a 30-day period, or (iii) a minimum of 5 (instead of 7) requests for records within a 7-day period. Requires a public body to either comply with or deny a request for public records, or to invoke its right to an extension of the deadline to produce the records, within 15 (instead of 5) business days after its receipt of the request. Extends the deadline to respond to a request made for a commercial purpose from 21 to 30 days. Exempts from disclosure records related to the location or operation of an automated license plate recognition system and records containing data generated or stored by those systems.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-05 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB2620 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB2620-Introduced.html

---

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2620 Introduced , by Rep. Terra Costa Howard SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
5 ILCS 140/2 from Ch. 116, par. 202
5 ILCS 140/3 from Ch. 116, par. 203
5 ILCS 140/3.1
5 ILCS 140/7
Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Changes the definition of "recurrent requester" to mean a person who, in the 12 months immediately preceding the request, has submitted to the same public body (i) a minimum of 40 (instead of 50) requests for records, (ii) a minimum of 10 (instead of 15) requests for records within a 30-day period, or (iii) a minimum of 5 (instead of 7) requests for records within a 7-day period. Requires a public body to either comply with or deny a request for public records, or to invoke its right to an extension of the deadline to produce the records, within 15 (instead of 5) business days after its receipt of the request. Extends the deadline to respond to a request made for a commercial purpose from 21 to 30 days. Exempts from disclosure records related to the location or operation of an automated license plate recognition system and records containing data generated or stored by those systems.
LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
A BILL FOR
HB2620 LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
AN ACT concerning government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Freedom of Information Act is amended by
changing Sections 2, 3, 3.1, and 7 as follows:
(5 ILCS 140/2) (from Ch. 116, par. 202)
Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act:
(a) "Public body" means all legislative, executive,
administrative, or advisory bodies of the State, state
universities and colleges, counties, townships, cities,
villages, incorporated towns, school districts and all other
municipal corporations, boards, bureaus, committees, or
commissions of this State, any subsidiary bodies of any of the
foregoing including but not limited to committees and
subcommittees thereof, and a School Finance Authority created
under Article 1E of the School Code. "Public body" does not
include a child death review team or the Illinois Child Death
Review Teams Executive Council established under the Child
Death Review Team Act, or a regional youth advisory board or
the Statewide Youth Advisory Board established under the
Department of Children and Family Services Statewide Youth
Advisory Board Act.
(b) "Person" means any individual, corporation,

HB2620 - 2 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
partnership, firm, organization or association, acting
individually or as a group.
(c) "Public records" means all records, reports, forms,
writings, letters, memoranda, books, papers, maps,
photographs, microfilms, cards, tapes, recordings, electronic
data processing records, electronic communications, recorded
information and all other documentary materials pertaining to
the transaction of public business, regardless of physical
form or characteristics, having been prepared by or for, or
having been or being used by, received by, in the possession
of, or under the control of any public body.
(c-5) "Private information" means unique identifiers,
including a person's social security number, driver's license
number, employee identification number, biometric identifiers,
personal financial information, passwords or other access
codes, medical records, home or personal telephone numbers,
and personal email addresses. Private information also
includes home address and personal license plates, except as
otherwise provided by law or when compiled without possibility
of attribution to any person.
(c-10) "Commercial purpose" means the use of any part of a
public record or records, or information derived from public
records, in any form for sale, resale, or solicitation or
advertisement for sales or services. For purposes of this
definition, requests made by news media and non-profit,
scientific, or academic organizations shall not be considered

HB2620 - 3 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
to be made for a "commercial purpose" when the principal
purpose of the request is (i) to access and disseminate
information concerning news and current or passing events,
(ii) for articles of opinion or features of interest to the
public, or (iii) for the purpose of academic, scientific, or
public research or education.
(d) "Copying" means the reproduction of any public record
by means of any photographic, electronic, mechanical or other
process, device or means now known or hereafter developed and
available to the public body.
(e) "Head of the public body" means the president, mayor,
chairman, presiding officer, director, superintendent,
manager, supervisor or individual otherwise holding primary
executive and administrative authority for the public body, or
such person's duly authorized designee.
(f) "News media" means a newspaper or other periodical
issued at regular intervals whether in print or electronic
format, a news service whether in print or electronic format,
a radio station, a television station, a television network, a
community antenna television service, or a person or
corporation engaged in making news reels or other motion
picture news for public showing.
(g) "Recurrent requester", as used in Section 3.2 of this
Act, means a person that, in the 12 months immediately
preceding the request, has submitted to the same public body
(i) a minimum of 40 50 requests for records, (ii) a minimum of

HB2620 - 4 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
10 15 requests for records within a 30-day period, or (iii) a
minimum of 5 7 requests for records within a 7-day period. For
purposes of this definition, requests made by news media and
non-profit, scientific, or academic organizations shall not be
considered in calculating the number of requests made in the
time periods in this definition when the principal purpose of
the requests is (i) to access and disseminate information
concerning news and current or passing events, (ii) for
articles of opinion or features of interest to the public, or
(iii) for the purpose of academic, scientific, or public
research or education.
For the purposes of this subsection (g), "request" means a
written document (or oral request, if the public body chooses
to honor oral requests) that is submitted to a public body via
personal delivery, mail, telefax, electronic mail, or other
means available to the public body and that identifies the
particular public record the requester seeks. One request may
identify multiple records to be inspected or copied.
(h) "Voluminous request" means a request that: (i)
includes more than 5 individual requests for more than 5
different categories of records or a combination of individual
requests that total requests for more than 5 different
categories of records in a period of 20 business days; or (ii)
requires the compilation of more than 500 letter or
legal-sized pages of public records unless a single requested
record exceeds 500 pages. "Single requested record" may

HB2620 - 5 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
include, but is not limited to, one report, form, e-mail,
letter, memorandum, book, map, microfilm, tape, or recording.
"Voluminous request" does not include a request made by
news media and non-profit, scientific, or academic
organizations if the principal purpose of the request is: (1)
to access and disseminate information concerning news and
current or passing events; (2) for articles of opinion or
features of interest to the public; or (3) for the purpose of
academic, scientific, or public research or education.
For the purposes of this subsection (h), "request" means a
written document, or oral request, if the public body chooses
to honor oral requests, that is submitted to a public body via
personal delivery, mail, telefax, electronic mail, or other
means available to the public body and that identifies the
particular public record or records the requester seeks. One
request may identify multiple individual records to be
inspected or copied.
(i) "Severance agreement" means a mutual agreement between
any public body and its employee for the employee's
resignation in exchange for payment by the public body.
(j) "ALPR system data" means data packets representing
interpretation by ALPR systems of recorded vehicle license
plates affixed to vehicles in the field of view of ALPR system
cameras, with associated global positioning system
coordinates, and time and date stamps associated with the
recording of the data.

HB2620 - 6 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
(k) "Automated license plate recognition system" or "ALPR
system" means a system of one or more mobile, portable, or
fixed video cameras using computer algorithms to convert
images of license plates into automated computer-recognized
searchable alphanumeric data, including associated servers,
data normalization technologies, and similar technologies.
(l) "Historical ALPR system data" means data recorded by
ALPR systems that are stored in an authorized ALPR system
platform.
(Source: P.A. 98-806, eff. 1-1-15; 98-1129, eff. 12-3-14;
99-78, eff. 7-20-15; 99-478, eff. 6-1-16.)
(5 ILCS 140/3) (from Ch. 116, par. 203)
Sec. 3. (a) Each public body shall make available to any
person for inspection or copying all public records, except as
otherwise provided in Sections 7 and 8.5 of this Act.
Notwithstanding any other law, a public body may not grant to
any person or entity, whether by contract, license, or
otherwise, the exclusive right to access and disseminate any
public record as defined in this Act.
(b) Subject to the fee provisions of Section 6 of this Act,
each public body shall promptly provide, to any person who
submits a request, a copy of any public record required to be
disclosed by subsection (a) of this Section and shall certify
such copy if so requested.
(c) Requests for inspection or copies shall be made in

HB2620 - 7 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
writing and directed to the public body. Written requests may
be submitted to a public body via personal delivery, mail,
telefax, or other means available to the public body. A public
body may honor oral requests for inspection or copying. A
public body may not require that a request be submitted on a
standard form or require the requester to specify the purpose
for a request, except to determine whether the records are
requested for a commercial purpose or whether to grant a
request for a fee waiver. All requests for inspection and
copying received by a public body shall immediately be
forwarded to its Freedom of Information officer or designee.
(d) Each public body shall, promptly, either comply with
or deny a request for public records within 15 5 business days
after its receipt of the request, unless the time for response
is properly extended under subsection (e) of this Section.
Denial shall be in writing as provided in Section 9 of this
Act. Failure to comply with a written request, extend the time
for response, or deny a request within 15 5 business days after
its receipt shall be considered a denial of the request. A
public body that fails to respond to a request within the
requisite periods in this Section but thereafter provides the
requester with copies of the requested public records may not
impose a fee for such copies. A public body that fails to
respond to a request received may not treat the request as
unduly burdensome under subsection (g).
(e) The time for response under this Section may be

HB2620 - 8 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
extended by the public body for not more than 5 business days
from the original due date for any of the following reasons:
(i) the requested records are stored in whole or in
part at other locations than the office having charge of
the requested records;
(ii) the request requires the collection of a
substantial number of specified records;
(iii) the request is couched in categorical terms and
requires an extensive search for the records responsive to
it;
(iv) the requested records have not been located in
the course of routine search and additional efforts are
being made to locate them;
(v) the requested records require examination and
evaluation by personnel having the necessary competence
and discretion to determine if they are exempt from
disclosure under Section 7 of this Act or should be
revealed only with appropriate deletions;
(vi) the request for records cannot be complied with
by the public body within the time limits prescribed by
subsection (d) of this Section without unduly burdening or
interfering with the operations of the public body;
(vii) there is a need for consultation, which shall be
conducted with all practicable speed, with another public
body or among 2 or more components of a public body having
a substantial interest in the determination or in the

HB2620 - 9 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
subject matter of the request.
The person making a request and the public body may agree
in writing to extend the time for compliance for a period to be
determined by the parties. If the requester and the public
body agree to extend the period for compliance, a failure by
the public body to comply with any previous deadlines shall
not be treated as a denial of the request for the records.
(f) When additional time is required for any of the above
reasons, the public body shall, within 15 5 business days
after receipt of the request, notify the person making the
request of the reasons for the extension and the date by which
the response will be forthcoming. Failure to respond within
the time permitted for extension shall be considered a denial
of the request. A public body that fails to respond to a
request within the time permitted for extension but thereafter
provides the requester with copies of the requested public
records may not impose a fee for those copies. A public body
that requests an extension and subsequently fails to respond
to the request may not treat the request as unduly burdensome
under subsection (g).
(g) Requests calling for all records falling within a
category shall be complied with unless compliance with the
request would be unduly burdensome for the complying public
body and there is no way to narrow the request and the burden
on the public body outweighs the public interest in the
information. Before invoking this exemption, the public body

HB2620 - 10 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
shall extend to the person making the request an opportunity
to confer with it in an attempt to reduce the request to
manageable proportions. If any public body responds to a
categorical request by stating that compliance would unduly
burden its operation and the conditions described above are
met, it shall do so in writing, specifying the reasons why it
would be unduly burdensome and the extent to which compliance
will so burden the operations of the public body. Such a
response shall be treated as a denial of the request for
information.
Repeated requests from the same person for the same
records that are unchanged or identical to records previously
provided or properly denied under this Act shall be deemed
unduly burdensome under this provision.
(h) Each public body may promulgate rules and regulations
in conformity with the provisions of this Section pertaining
to the availability of records and procedures to be followed,
including:
(i) the times and places where such records will be
made available, and
(ii) the persons from whom such records may be
obtained.
(i) The time periods for compliance or denial of a request
to inspect or copy records set out in this Section shall not
apply to requests for records made for a commercial purpose,
requests by a recurrent requester, or voluminous requests.

HB2620 - 11 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
Such requests shall be subject to the provisions of Sections
3.1, 3.2, and 3.6 of this Act, as applicable.
(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)
(5 ILCS 140/3.1)
Sec. 3.1. Requests for commercial purposes.
(a) A public body shall respond to a request for records to
be used for a commercial purpose within 30 21 working days
after receipt. The response shall (i) provide to the requester
an estimate of the time required by the public body to provide
the records requested and an estimate of the fees to be
charged, which the public body may require the person to pay in
full before copying the requested documents, (ii) deny the
request pursuant to one or more of the exemptions set out in
this Act, (iii) notify the requester that the request is
unduly burdensome and extend an opportunity to the requester
to attempt to reduce the request to manageable proportions, or
(iv) provide the records requested.
(b) Unless the records are exempt from disclosure, a
public body shall comply with a request within a reasonable
period considering the size and complexity of the request, and
giving priority to records requested for non-commercial
purposes.
(c) It is a violation of this Act for a person to knowingly
obtain a public record for a commercial purpose without
disclosing that it is for a commercial purpose, if requested

HB2620 - 12 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
to do so by the public body.
(Source: P.A. 96-542, eff. 1-1-10.)
(5 ILCS 140/7)
(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 102-982)
Sec. 7. Exemptions.
(1) When a request is made to inspect or copy a public
record that contains information that is exempt from
disclosure under this Section, but also contains information
that is not exempt from disclosure, the public body may elect
to redact the information that is exempt. The public body
shall make the remaining information available for inspection
and copying. Subject to this requirement, the following shall
be exempt from inspection and copying:
(a) Information specifically prohibited from
disclosure by federal or State law or rules and
regulations implementing federal or State law.
(b) Private information, unless disclosure is required
by another provision of this Act, a State or federal law,
or a court order.
(b-5) Files, documents, and other data or databases
maintained by one or more law enforcement agencies and
specifically designed to provide information to one or
more law enforcement agencies regarding the physical or
mental status of one or more individual subjects.
(c) Personal information contained within public

HB2620 - 13 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
records, the disclosure of which would constitute a
clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, unless
the disclosure is consented to in writing by the
individual subjects of the information. "Unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy" means the disclosure of
information that is highly personal or objectionable to a
reasonable person and in which the subject's right to
privacy outweighs any legitimate public interest in
obtaining the information. The disclosure of information
that bears on the public duties of public employees and
officials shall not be considered an invasion of personal
privacy.
(d) Records in the possession of any public body
created in the course of administrative enforcement
proceedings, and any law enforcement or correctional
agency for law enforcement purposes, but only to the
extent that disclosure would:
(i) interfere with pending or actually and
reasonably contemplated law enforcement proceedings
conducted by any law enforcement or correctional
agency that is the recipient of the request;
(ii) interfere with active administrative
enforcement proceedings conducted by the public body
that is the recipient of the request;
(iii) create a substantial likelihood that a
person will be deprived of a fair trial or an impartial

HB2620 - 14 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
hearing;
(iv) unavoidably disclose the identity of a
confidential source, confidential information
furnished only by the confidential source, or persons
who file complaints with or provide information to
administrative, investigative, law enforcement, or
penal agencies; except that the identities of
witnesses to traffic accidents, traffic accident
reports, and rescue reports shall be provided by
agencies of local government, except when disclosure
would interfere with an active criminal investigation
conducted by the agency that is the recipient of the
request;
(v) disclose unique or specialized investigative
techniques other than those generally used and known
or disclose internal documents of correctional
agencies related to detection, observation, or
investigation of incidents of crime or misconduct, and
disclosure would result in demonstrable harm to the
agency or public body that is the recipient of the
request;
(vi) endanger the life or physical safety of law
enforcement personnel or any other person; or
(vii) obstruct an ongoing criminal investigation
by the agency that is the recipient of the request.
(d-5) A law enforcement record created for law

HB2620 - 15 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
enforcement purposes and contained in a shared electronic
record management system if the law enforcement agency
that is the recipient of the request did not create the
record, did not participate in or have a role in any of the
events which are the subject of the record, and only has
access to the record through the shared electronic record
management system.
(d-6) Records contained in the Officer Professional
Conduct Database under Section 9.2 of the Illinois Police
Training Act, except to the extent authorized under that
Section. This includes the documents supplied to the
Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board from the
Illinois State Police and Illinois State Police Merit
Board.
(e) Records that relate to or affect the security of
correctional institutions and detention facilities.
(e-5) Records requested by persons committed to the
Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services
Division of Mental Health, or a county jail if those
materials are available in the library of the correctional
institution or facility or jail where the inmate is
confined.
(e-6) Records requested by persons committed to the
Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services
Division of Mental Health, or a county jail if those
materials include records from staff members' personnel

HB2620 - 16 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
files, staff rosters, or other staffing assignment
information.
(e-7) Records requested by persons committed to the
Department of Corrections or Department of Human Services
Division of Mental Health if those materials are available
through an administrative request to the Department of
Corrections or Department of Human Services Division of
Mental Health.
(e-8) Records requested by a person committed to the
Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services
Division of Mental Health, or a county jail, the
disclosure of which would result in the risk of harm to any
person or the risk of an escape from a jail or correctional
institution or facility.
(e-9) Records requested by a person in a county jail
or committed to the Department of Corrections or
Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health,
containing personal information pertaining to the person's
victim or the victim's family, including, but not limited
to, a victim's home address, home telephone number, work
or school address, work telephone number, social security
number, or any other identifying information, except as
may be relevant to a requester's current or potential case
or claim.
(e-10) Law enforcement records of other persons
requested by a person committed to the Department of

HB2620 - 17 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of
Mental Health, or a county jail, including, but not
limited to, arrest and booking records, mug shots, and
crime scene photographs, except as these records may be
relevant to the requester's current or potential case or
claim.
(f) Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations,
memoranda, and other records in which opinions are
expressed, or policies or actions are formulated, except
that a specific record or relevant portion of a record
shall not be exempt when the record is publicly cited and
identified by the head of the public body. The exemption
provided in this paragraph (f) extends to all those
records of officers and agencies of the General Assembly
that pertain to the preparation of legislative documents.
(g) Trade secrets and commercial or financial
information obtained from a person or business where the
trade secrets or commercial or financial information are
furnished under a claim that they are proprietary,
privileged, or confidential, and that disclosure of the
trade secrets or commercial or financial information would
cause competitive harm to the person or business, and only
insofar as the claim directly applies to the records
requested.
The information included under this exemption includes
all trade secrets and commercial or financial information

HB2620 - 18 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
obtained by a public body, including a public pension
fund, from a private equity fund or a privately held
company within the investment portfolio of a private
equity fund as a result of either investing or evaluating
a potential investment of public funds in a private equity
fund. The exemption contained in this item does not apply
to the aggregate financial performance information of a
private equity fund, nor to the identity of the fund's
managers or general partners. The exemption contained in
this item does not apply to the identity of a privately
held company within the investment portfolio of a private
equity fund, unless the disclosure of the identity of a
privately held company may cause competitive harm.
Nothing contained in this paragraph (g) shall be
construed to prevent a person or business from consenting
to disclosure.
(h) Proposals and bids for any contract, grant, or
agreement, including information which if it were
disclosed would frustrate procurement or give an advantage
to any person proposing to enter into a contractor
agreement with the body, until an award or final selection
is made. Information prepared by or for the body in
preparation of a bid solicitation shall be exempt until an
award or final selection is made.
(i) Valuable formulae, computer geographic systems,
designs, drawings, and research data obtained or produced

HB2620 - 19 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
by any public body when disclosure could reasonably be
expected to produce private gain or public loss. The
exemption for "computer geographic systems" provided in
this paragraph (i) does not extend to requests made by
news media as defined in Section 2 of this Act when the
requested information is not otherwise exempt and the only
purpose of the request is to access and disseminate
information regarding the health, safety, welfare, or
legal rights of the general public.
(j) The following information pertaining to
educational matters:
(i) test questions, scoring keys, and other
examination data used to administer an academic
examination;
(ii) information received by a primary or
secondary school, college, or university under its
procedures for the evaluation of faculty members by
their academic peers;
(iii) information concerning a school or
university's adjudication of student disciplinary
cases, but only to the extent that disclosure would
unavoidably reveal the identity of the student; and
(iv) course materials or research materials used
by faculty members.
(k) Architects' plans, engineers' technical
submissions, and other construction related technical

HB2620 - 20 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
documents for projects not constructed or developed in
whole or in part with public funds and the same for
projects constructed or developed with public funds,
including, but not limited to, power generating and
distribution stations and other transmission and
distribution facilities, water treatment facilities,
airport facilities, sport stadiums, convention centers,
and all government owned, operated, or occupied buildings,
but only to the extent that disclosure would compromise
security.
(l) Minutes of meetings of public bodies closed to the
public as provided in the Open Meetings Act until the
public body makes the minutes available to the public
under Section 2.06 of the Open Meetings Act.
(m) Communications between a public body and an
attorney or auditor representing the public body that
would not be subject to discovery in litigation, and
materials prepared or compiled by or for a public body in
anticipation of a criminal, civil, or administrative
proceeding upon the request of an attorney advising the
public body, and materials prepared or compiled with
respect to internal audits of public bodies.
(n) Records relating to a public body's adjudication
of employee grievances or disciplinary cases; however,
this exemption shall not extend to the final outcome of
cases in which discipline is imposed.

HB2620 - 21 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
(o) Administrative or technical information associated
with automated data processing operations, including, but
not limited to, software, operating protocols, computer
program abstracts, file layouts, source listings, object
modules, load modules, user guides, documentation
pertaining to all logical and physical design of
computerized systems, employee manuals, and any other
information that, if disclosed, would jeopardize the
security of the system or its data or the security of
materials exempt under this Section.
(p) Records relating to collective negotiating matters
between public bodies and their employees or
representatives, except that any final contract or
agreement shall be subject to inspection and copying.
(q) Test questions, scoring keys, and other
examination data used to determine the qualifications of
an applicant for a license or employment.
(r) The records, documents, and information relating
to real estate purchase negotiations until those
negotiations have been completed or otherwise terminated.
With regard to a parcel involved in a pending or actually
and reasonably contemplated eminent domain proceeding
under the Eminent Domain Act, records, documents, and
information relating to that parcel shall be exempt except
as may be allowed under discovery rules adopted by the
Illinois Supreme Court. The records, documents, and

HB2620 - 22 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
information relating to a real estate sale shall be exempt
until a sale is consummated.
(s) Any and all proprietary information and records
related to the operation of an intergovernmental risk
management association or self-insurance pool or jointly
self-administered health and accident cooperative or pool.
Insurance or self-insurance self insurance (including any
intergovernmental risk management association or
self-insurance self insurance pool) claims, loss or risk
management information, records, data, advice, or
communications.
(t) Information contained in or related to
examination, operating, or condition reports prepared by,
on behalf of, or for the use of a public body responsible
for the regulation or supervision of financial
institutions, insurance companies, or pharmacy benefit
managers, unless disclosure is otherwise required by State
law.
(u) Information that would disclose or might lead to
the disclosure of secret or confidential information,
codes, algorithms, programs, or private keys intended to
be used to create electronic signatures under the Uniform
Electronic Transactions Act.
(v) Vulnerability assessments, security measures, and
response policies or plans that are designed to identify,
prevent, or respond to potential attacks upon a

HB2620 - 23 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
community's population or systems, facilities, or
installations, but only to the extent that disclosure
could reasonably be expected to expose the vulnerability
or jeopardize the effectiveness of the measures, policies,
or plans, or the safety of the personnel who implement
them or the public. Information exempt under this item may
include such things as details pertaining to the
mobilization or deployment of personnel or equipment, to
the operation of communication systems or protocols, to
cybersecurity vulnerabilities, or to tactical operations.
(w) (Blank).
(x) Maps and other records regarding the location or
security of generation, transmission, distribution,
storage, gathering, treatment, or switching facilities
owned by a utility, by a power generator, or by the
Illinois Power Agency.
(y) Information contained in or related to proposals,
bids, or negotiations related to electric power
procurement under Section 1-75 of the Illinois Power
Agency Act and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities
Act that is determined to be confidential and proprietary
by the Illinois Power Agency or by the Illinois Commerce
Commission.
(z) Information about students exempted from
disclosure under Section Sections 10-20.38 or 34-18.29 of
the School Code, and information about undergraduate

HB2620 - 24 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
students enrolled at an institution of higher education
exempted from disclosure under Section 25 of the Illinois
Credit Card Marketing Act of 2009.
(aa) Information the disclosure of which is exempted
under the Viatical Settlements Act of 2009.
(bb) Records and information provided to a mortality
review team and records maintained by a mortality review
team appointed under the Department of Juvenile Justice
Mortality Review Team Act.
(cc) Information regarding interments, entombments, or
inurnments of human remains that are submitted to the
Cemetery Oversight Database under the Cemetery Care Act or
the Cemetery Oversight Act, whichever is applicable.
(dd) Correspondence and records (i) that may not be
disclosed under Section 11-9 of the Illinois Public Aid
Code or (ii) that pertain to appeals under Section 11-8 of
the Illinois Public Aid Code.
(ee) The names, addresses, or other personal
information of persons who are minors and are also
participants and registrants in programs of park
districts, forest preserve districts, conservation
districts, recreation agencies, and special recreation
associations.
(ff) The names, addresses, or other personal
information of participants and registrants in programs of
park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation

HB2620 - 25 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
districts, recreation agencies, and special recreation
associations where such programs are targeted primarily to
minors.
(gg) Confidential information described in Section
1-100 of the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal Act of
2012.
(hh) The report submitted to the State Board of
Education by the School Security and Standards Task Force
under item (8) of subsection (d) of Section 2-3.160 of the
School Code and any information contained in that report.
(ii) Records requested by persons committed to or
detained by the Department of Human Services under the
Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act or committed to
the Department of Corrections under the Sexually Dangerous
Persons Act if those materials: (i) are available in the
library of the facility where the individual is confined;
(ii) include records from staff members' personnel files,
staff rosters, or other staffing assignment information;
or (iii) are available through an administrative request
to the Department of Human Services or the Department of
Corrections.
(jj) Confidential information described in Section
5-535 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.
(kk) The public body's credit card numbers, debit card
numbers, bank account numbers, Federal Employer
Identification Number, security code numbers, passwords,

HB2620 - 26 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
and similar account information, the disclosure of which
could result in identity theft or impression or defrauding
of a governmental entity or a person.
(ll) Records concerning the work of the threat
assessment team of a school district, including, but not
limited to, any threat assessment procedure under the
School Safety Drill Act and any information contained in
the procedure.
(mm) Information prohibited from being disclosed under
subsections (a) and (b) of Section 15 of the Student
Confidential Reporting Act.
(nn) (mm) Proprietary information submitted to the
Environmental Protection Agency under the Drug Take-Back
Act.
(oo) (mm) Records described in subsection (f) of
Section 3-5-1 of the Unified Code of Corrections.
(1.5) Any information exempt from disclosure under the
Judicial Privacy Act shall be redacted from public records
prior to disclosure under this Act.
(2) A public record that is not in the possession of a
public body but is in the possession of a party with whom the
agency has contracted to perform a governmental function on
behalf of the public body, and that directly relates to the
governmental function and is not otherwise exempt under this
Act, shall be considered a public record of the public body,
for purposes of this Act.

HB2620 - 27 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
(3) This Section does not authorize withholding of
information or limit the availability of records to the
public, except as stated in this Section or otherwise provided
in this Act.
(Source: P.A. 101-434, eff. 1-1-20; 101-452, eff. 1-1-20;
101-455, eff. 8-23-19; 101-652, eff. 1-1-22; 102-38, eff.
6-25-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-694, eff. 1-7-22; 102-752,
eff. 5-6-22; 102-753, eff. 1-1-23; 102-776, eff. 1-1-23;
102-791, eff. 5-13-22; 102-1055, eff. 6-10-22; revised
12-13-22.)
(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-982)
Sec. 7. Exemptions.
(1) When a request is made to inspect or copy a public
record that contains information that is exempt from
disclosure under this Section, but also contains information
that is not exempt from disclosure, the public body may elect
to redact the information that is exempt. The public body
shall make the remaining information available for inspection
and copying. Subject to this requirement, the following shall
be exempt from inspection and copying:
(a) Information specifically prohibited from
disclosure by federal or State law or rules and
regulations implementing federal or State law.
(b) Private information, unless disclosure is required
by another provision of this Act, a State or federal law,

HB2620 - 28 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
or a court order.
(b-5) Files, documents, and other data or databases
maintained by one or more law enforcement agencies and
specifically designed to provide information to one or
more law enforcement agencies regarding the physical or
mental status of one or more individual subjects.
(c) Personal information contained within public
records, the disclosure of which would constitute a
clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, unless
the disclosure is consented to in writing by the
individual subjects of the information. "Unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy" means the disclosure of
information that is highly personal or objectionable to a
reasonable person and in which the subject's right to
privacy outweighs any legitimate public interest in
obtaining the information. The disclosure of information
that bears on the public duties of public employees and
officials shall not be considered an invasion of personal
privacy.
(d) Records in the possession of any public body
created in the course of administrative enforcement
proceedings, and any law enforcement or correctional
agency for law enforcement purposes, but only to the
extent that disclosure would:
(i) interfere with pending or actually and
reasonably contemplated law enforcement proceedings

HB2620 - 29 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
conducted by any law enforcement or correctional
agency that is the recipient of the request;
(ii) interfere with active administrative
enforcement proceedings conducted by the public body
that is the recipient of the request;
(iii) create a substantial likelihood that a
person will be deprived of a fair trial or an impartial
hearing;
(iv) unavoidably disclose the identity of a
confidential source, confidential information
furnished only by the confidential source, or persons
who file complaints with or provide information to
administrative, investigative, law enforcement, or
penal agencies; except that the identities of
witnesses to traffic crashes, traffic crash reports,
and rescue reports shall be provided by agencies of
local government, except when disclosure would
interfere with an active criminal investigation
conducted by the agency that is the recipient of the
request;
(v) disclose unique or specialized investigative
techniques other than those generally used and known
or disclose internal documents of correctional
agencies related to detection, observation, or
investigation of incidents of crime or misconduct, and
disclosure would result in demonstrable harm to the

HB2620 - 30 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
agency or public body that is the recipient of the
request;
(vi) endanger the life or physical safety of law
enforcement personnel or any other person; or
(vii) obstruct an ongoing criminal investigation
by the agency that is the recipient of the request.
(d-5) A law enforcement record created for law
enforcement purposes and contained in a shared electronic
record management system if the law enforcement agency
that is the recipient of the request did not create the
record, did not participate in or have a role in any of the
events which are the subject of the record, and only has
access to the record through the shared electronic record
management system.
(d-6) Records contained in the Officer Professional
Conduct Database under Section 9.2 of the Illinois Police
Training Act, except to the extent authorized under that
Section. This includes the documents supplied to the
Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board from the
Illinois State Police and Illinois State Police Merit
Board.
(d-7) Records related to the location or operation of
an automated license plate recognition system, records
containing ALPR system data, and records containing
historical ALPR system data.
(e) Records that relate to or affect the security of

HB2620 - 31 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
correctional institutions and detention facilities.
(e-5) Records requested by persons committed to the
Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services
Division of Mental Health, or a county jail if those
materials are available in the library of the correctional
institution or facility or jail where the inmate is
confined.
(e-6) Records requested by persons committed to the
Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services
Division of Mental Health, or a county jail if those
materials include records from staff members' personnel
files, staff rosters, or other staffing assignment
information.
(e-7) Records requested by persons committed to the
Department of Corrections or Department of Human Services
Division of Mental Health if those materials are available
through an administrative request to the Department of
Corrections or Department of Human Services Division of
Mental Health.
(e-8) Records requested by a person committed to the
Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services
Division of Mental Health, or a county jail, the
disclosure of which would result in the risk of harm to any
person or the risk of an escape from a jail or correctional
institution or facility.
(e-9) Records requested by a person in a county jail

HB2620 - 32 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
or committed to the Department of Corrections or
Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health,
containing personal information pertaining to the person's
victim or the victim's family, including, but not limited
to, a victim's home address, home telephone number, work
or school address, work telephone number, social security
number, or any other identifying information, except as
may be relevant to a requester's current or potential case
or claim.
(e-10) Law enforcement records of other persons
requested by a person committed to the Department of
Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of
Mental Health, or a county jail, including, but not
limited to, arrest and booking records, mug shots, and
crime scene photographs, except as these records may be
relevant to the requester's current or potential case or
claim.
(f) Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations,
memoranda, and other records in which opinions are
expressed, or policies or actions are formulated, except
that a specific record or relevant portion of a record
shall not be exempt when the record is publicly cited and
identified by the head of the public body. The exemption
provided in this paragraph (f) extends to all those
records of officers and agencies of the General Assembly
that pertain to the preparation of legislative documents.

HB2620 - 33 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
(g) Trade secrets and commercial or financial
information obtained from a person or business where the
trade secrets or commercial or financial information are
furnished under a claim that they are proprietary,
privileged, or confidential, and that disclosure of the
trade secrets or commercial or financial information would
cause competitive harm to the person or business, and only
insofar as the claim directly applies to the records
requested.
The information included under this exemption includes
all trade secrets and commercial or financial information
obtained by a public body, including a public pension
fund, from a private equity fund or a privately held
company within the investment portfolio of a private
equity fund as a result of either investing or evaluating
a potential investment of public funds in a private equity
fund. The exemption contained in this item does not apply
to the aggregate financial performance information of a
private equity fund, nor to the identity of the fund's
managers or general partners. The exemption contained in
this item does not apply to the identity of a privately
held company within the investment portfolio of a private
equity fund, unless the disclosure of the identity of a
privately held company may cause competitive harm.
Nothing contained in this paragraph (g) shall be
construed to prevent a person or business from consenting

HB2620 - 34 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
to disclosure.
(h) Proposals and bids for any contract, grant, or
agreement, including information which if it were
disclosed would frustrate procurement or give an advantage
to any person proposing to enter into a contractor
agreement with the body, until an award or final selection
is made. Information prepared by or for the body in
preparation of a bid solicitation shall be exempt until an
award or final selection is made.
(i) Valuable formulae, computer geographic systems,
designs, drawings, and research data obtained or produced
by any public body when disclosure could reasonably be
expected to produce private gain or public loss. The
exemption for "computer geographic systems" provided in
this paragraph (i) does not extend to requests made by
news media as defined in Section 2 of this Act when the
requested information is not otherwise exempt and the only
purpose of the request is to access and disseminate
information regarding the health, safety, welfare, or
legal rights of the general public.
(j) The following information pertaining to
educational matters:
(i) test questions, scoring keys, and other
examination data used to administer an academic
examination;
(ii) information received by a primary or

HB2620 - 35 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
secondary school, college, or university under its
procedures for the evaluation of faculty members by
their academic peers;
(iii) information concerning a school or
university's adjudication of student disciplinary
cases, but only to the extent that disclosure would
unavoidably reveal the identity of the student; and
(iv) course materials or research materials used
by faculty members.
(k) Architects' plans, engineers' technical
submissions, and other construction related technical
documents for projects not constructed or developed in
whole or in part with public funds and the same for
projects constructed or developed with public funds,
including, but not limited to, power generating and
distribution stations and other transmission and
distribution facilities, water treatment facilities,
airport facilities, sport stadiums, convention centers,
and all government owned, operated, or occupied buildings,
but only to the extent that disclosure would compromise
security.
(l) Minutes of meetings of public bodies closed to the
public as provided in the Open Meetings Act until the
public body makes the minutes available to the public
under Section 2.06 of the Open Meetings Act.
(m) Communications between a public body and an

HB2620 - 36 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
attorney or auditor representing the public body that
would not be subject to discovery in litigation, and
materials prepared or compiled by or for a public body in
anticipation of a criminal, civil, or administrative
proceeding upon the request of an attorney advising the
public body, and materials prepared or compiled with
respect to internal audits of public bodies.
(n) Records relating to a public body's adjudication
of employee grievances or disciplinary cases; however,
this exemption shall not extend to the final outcome of
cases in which discipline is imposed.
(o) Administrative or technical information associated
with automated data processing operations, including, but
not limited to, software, operating protocols, computer
program abstracts, file layouts, source listings, object
modules, load modules, user guides, documentation
pertaining to all logical and physical design of
computerized systems, employee manuals, and any other
information that, if disclosed, would jeopardize the
security of the system or its data or the security of
materials exempt under this Section.
(p) Records relating to collective negotiating matters
between public bodies and their employees or
representatives, except that any final contract or
agreement shall be subject to inspection and copying.
(q) Test questions, scoring keys, and other

HB2620 - 37 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
examination data used to determine the qualifications of
an applicant for a license or employment.
(r) The records, documents, and information relating
to real estate purchase negotiations until those
negotiations have been completed or otherwise terminated.
With regard to a parcel involved in a pending or actually
and reasonably contemplated eminent domain proceeding
under the Eminent Domain Act, records, documents, and
information relating to that parcel shall be exempt except
as may be allowed under discovery rules adopted by the
Illinois Supreme Court. The records, documents, and
information relating to a real estate sale shall be exempt
until a sale is consummated.
(s) Any and all proprietary information and records
related to the operation of an intergovernmental risk
management association or self-insurance pool or jointly
self-administered health and accident cooperative or pool.
Insurance or self-insurance self insurance (including any
intergovernmental risk management association or
self-insurance self insurance pool) claims, loss or risk
management information, records, data, advice, or
communications.
(t) Information contained in or related to
examination, operating, or condition reports prepared by,
on behalf of, or for the use of a public body responsible
for the regulation or supervision of financial

HB2620 - 38 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
institutions, insurance companies, or pharmacy benefit
managers, unless disclosure is otherwise required by State
law.
(u) Information that would disclose or might lead to
the disclosure of secret or confidential information,
codes, algorithms, programs, or private keys intended to
be used to create electronic signatures under the Uniform
Electronic Transactions Act.
(v) Vulnerability assessments, security measures, and
response policies or plans that are designed to identify,
prevent, or respond to potential attacks upon a
community's population or systems, facilities, or
installations, but only to the extent that disclosure
could reasonably be expected to expose the vulnerability
or jeopardize the effectiveness of the measures, policies,
or plans, or the safety of the personnel who implement
them or the public. Information exempt under this item may
include such things as details pertaining to the
mobilization or deployment of personnel or equipment, to
the operation of communication systems or protocols, to
cybersecurity vulnerabilities, or to tactical operations.
(w) (Blank).
(x) Maps and other records regarding the location or
security of generation, transmission, distribution,
storage, gathering, treatment, or switching facilities
owned by a utility, by a power generator, or by the

HB2620 - 39 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
Illinois Power Agency.
(y) Information contained in or related to proposals,
bids, or negotiations related to electric power
procurement under Section 1-75 of the Illinois Power
Agency Act and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities
Act that is determined to be confidential and proprietary
by the Illinois Power Agency or by the Illinois Commerce
Commission.
(z) Information about students exempted from
disclosure under Section Sections 10-20.38 or 34-18.29 of
the School Code, and information about undergraduate
students enrolled at an institution of higher education
exempted from disclosure under Section 25 of the Illinois
Credit Card Marketing Act of 2009.
(aa) Information the disclosure of which is exempted
under the Viatical Settlements Act of 2009.
(bb) Records and information provided to a mortality
review team and records maintained by a mortality review
team appointed under the Department of Juvenile Justice
Mortality Review Team Act.
(cc) Information regarding interments, entombments, or
inurnments of human remains that are submitted to the
Cemetery Oversight Database under the Cemetery Care Act or
the Cemetery Oversight Act, whichever is applicable.
(dd) Correspondence and records (i) that may not be
disclosed under Section 11-9 of the Illinois Public Aid

HB2620 - 40 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
Code or (ii) that pertain to appeals under Section 11-8 of
the Illinois Public Aid Code.
(ee) The names, addresses, or other personal
information of persons who are minors and are also
participants and registrants in programs of park
districts, forest preserve districts, conservation
districts, recreation agencies, and special recreation
associations.
(ff) The names, addresses, or other personal
information of participants and registrants in programs of
park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation
districts, recreation agencies, and special recreation
associations where such programs are targeted primarily to
minors.
(gg) Confidential information described in Section
1-100 of the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal Act of
2012.
(hh) The report submitted to the State Board of
Education by the School Security and Standards Task Force
under item (8) of subsection (d) of Section 2-3.160 of the
School Code and any information contained in that report.
(ii) Records requested by persons committed to or
detained by the Department of Human Services under the
Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act or committed to
the Department of Corrections under the Sexually Dangerous
Persons Act if those materials: (i) are available in the

HB2620 - 41 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
library of the facility where the individual is confined;
(ii) include records from staff members' personnel files,
staff rosters, or other staffing assignment information;
or (iii) are available through an administrative request
to the Department of Human Services or the Department of
Corrections.
(jj) Confidential information described in Section
5-535 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.
(kk) The public body's credit card numbers, debit card
numbers, bank account numbers, Federal Employer
Identification Number, security code numbers, passwords,
and similar account information, the disclosure of which
could result in identity theft or impression or defrauding
of a governmental entity or a person.
(ll) Records concerning the work of the threat
assessment team of a school district, including, but not
limited to, any threat assessment procedure under the
School Safety Drill Act and any information contained in
the procedure.
(mm) Information prohibited from being disclosed under
subsections (a) and (b) of Section 15 of the Student
Confidential Reporting Act.
(nn) (mm) Proprietary information submitted to the
Environmental Protection Agency under the Drug Take-Back
Act.
(oo) (mm) Records described in subsection (f) of

HB2620 - 42 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
Section 3-5-1 of the Unified Code of Corrections.
(1.5) Any information exempt from disclosure under the
Judicial Privacy Act shall be redacted from public records
prior to disclosure under this Act.
(2) A public record that is not in the possession of a
public body but is in the possession of a party with whom the
agency has contracted to perform a governmental function on
behalf of the public body, and that directly relates to the
governmental function and is not otherwise exempt under this
Act, shall be considered a public record of the public body,
for purposes of this Act.
(3) This Section does not authorize withholding of
information or limit the availability of records to the
public, except as stated in this Section or otherwise provided
in this Act.
(Source: P.A. 101-434, eff. 1-1-20; 101-452, eff. 1-1-20;
101-455, eff. 8-23-19; 101-652, eff. 1-1-22; 102-38, eff.
6-25-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-694, eff. 1-7-22; 102-752,
eff. 5-6-22; 102-753, eff. 1-1-23; 102-776, eff. 1-1-23;
102-791, eff. 5-13-22; 102-982, eff. 7-1-23; 102-1055, eff.
6-10-22; revised 12-13-22.)
Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes
changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text
that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section
represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does

HB2620 - 43 - LRB103 30067 AWJ 56490 b
not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes
made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other
Public Act.