Bill > SB1386

This bill amends the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to clarify the role and definition of Freedom of Information officers in public bodies. Specifically, the bill requires each public body to designate one or more officials or employees to serve as Freedom of Information officers, with a key clarification that "public body officials" refers only to elected or appointed office holders of the public body and explicitly excludes private attorneys or law firms appointed to represent the public body. The bill outlines the responsibilities of these officers, which include receiving FOIA requests, ensuring timely responses, developing a list of documents that can be immediately disclosed, and tracking request dates and response deadlines. This modification aims to standardize and improve the process of handling public records requests by clearly defining who can serve in this important transparency role and establishing specific procedural requirements for managing such requests.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1386&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=114&GA=104