summary
Introduced
03/24/2026
03/24/2026
In Committee
03/25/2026
03/25/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
104th General Assembly
Bill Summary
Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that records containing law enforcement in-car camera and officer-worn body camera video and audio recordings that a public body received from another public body are exempt from inspection or copying under the Act. Provides that records concerning the work of the threat assessment team of a law enforcement agency are exempt from inspection or copying under the Act. Provides that criminal history records are exempt from inspection or copying under the Act. Provides that personal and private information submitted to and maintained by the Illinois State Police under the Criminal Identification Act is exempt from inspection or copying under the Act. Provides that, if a public body received more than 1,000 requests under the Act in the preceding year, then (i) the public body shall either comply with or deny a request for a record that includes video records within 30 business days (rather than 5 business days) after its receipt of the request and (ii) the time for response to any request the public body receives may be extended by not more than 10 business days (rather than 5 business days) from the original due date for specified reasons. Provides that, if a request is made for an audio or video file that is maintained in an electronic format, then the public body may not charge for the first 60 minutes of staff time to prepare the response, including conducting necessary research regarding the request, as well as locating, collecting, reviewing, and redacting any responsive audio or video files. Provides that, after the first 60 minutes of staff time, the public body may charge the preparation costs of the public body's lowest paid staff member employed in a position that performs the work to prepare the response (rather than charging specified dollar amounts for specified megabytes of data). Makes technical and other changes. Effective January 1, 2027.
AI Summary
This bill amends the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to exempt certain law enforcement records from public disclosure, including video and audio recordings from in-car and body cameras that are shared between public bodies, and records related to the work of a law enforcement agency's threat assessment team. It also exempts criminal history records and personal information held by the Illinois State Police under the Criminal Identification Act. For public bodies receiving over 1,000 FOIA requests annually, the response time for requests involving video recordings is extended from 5 business days to 30 business days, and general response time extensions are increased from 5 to 10 business days. Additionally, the bill modifies fee structures for audio and video file requests, waiving the first 60 minutes of staff time for preparation and then charging based on the lowest-paid staff member's hourly wage, with a provision for victims or their families to be exempt from these fees. These changes are set to take effect on January 1, 2027.
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Referred to Rules Committee (on 03/25/2026)
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