815 ILCS 530/12

(815 ILCS 530/12)

Sec. 12. Notice of breach; State agency.

(a) Any State agency that collects personal information concerning an Illinois resident shall notify the resident at no charge that there has been a breach of the security of the system data or written material following discovery or notification of the breach. The disclosure notification shall be made in the most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay, consistent with any measures necessary to determine the scope of the breach and restore the reasonable integrity, security, and confidentiality of the data system. The disclosure notification to an Illinois resident shall include, but need not be limited to, (i) the toll-free numbers and addresses for consumer reporting agencies, (ii) the toll-free number, address, and website address for the Federal Trade Commission, and (iii) a statement that the individual can obtain information from these sources about fraud alerts and security freezes. The notification shall not, however, include information concerning the number of Illinois residents affected by the breach.

(a-5) The notification to an Illinois resident required by subsection (a) of this Section may be delayed if an appropriate law enforcement agency determines that notification will interfere with a criminal investigation and provides the State agency with a written request for the delay. However, the State agency must notify the Illinois resident as soon as notification will no longer interfere with the investigation.

(b) For purposes of this Section, notice to residents may be provided by one of the following methods:

(1) written notice;

(2) electronic notice, if the notice provided is consistent with the provisions regarding electronic records and signatures for notices legally required to be in writing as set forth in Section 7001 of Title 15 of the United States Code; or

(3) substitute notice, if the State agency demonstrates that the cost of providing notice would exceed $250,000 or that the affected class of subject persons to be notified exceeds 500,000, or the State agency does not have sufficient contact information. Substitute notice shall consist of all of the following: (i) email notice if the State agency has an email address for the subject persons; (ii) conspicuous posting of the notice on the State agency's web site page if the State agency maintains one; and (iii) notification to major statewide media.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (b), a State agency that maintains its own notification procedures as part of an information security policy for the treatment of personal information and is otherwise consistent with the timing requirements of this Act shall be deemed in compliance with the notification requirements of this Section if the State agency notifies subject persons in accordance with its policies in the event of a breach of the security of the system data or written material.

(d) If a State agency is required to notify more than 1,000 persons of a breach of security pursuant to this Section, the State agency shall also notify, without unreasonable delay, all consumer reporting agencies that compile and maintain files on consumers on a nationwide basis, as defined by 15 U.S.C. Section 1681a(p), of the timing, distribution, and content of the notices. Nothing in this subsection (d) shall be construed to require the State agency to provide to the consumer reporting agency the names or other personal identifying information of breach notice recipients.

(Source: P.A. 97-483, eff. 1-1-12.)