State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ House Amendment 001 ]

90_HB1027eng

      5 ILCS 140/2              from Ch. 116, par. 202
      5 ILCS 140/6              from Ch. 116, par. 206
      625 ILCS 5/1-148.5 new
      625 ILCS 5/2-123          from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 2-123
          Amends the Freedom of Information Act  and  the  Illinois
      Vehicle  Code  to  provide  that  documents  and  information
      distributable  under  these  Acts  shall be furnished without
      charge or at a reduced charge to the news  media  if  in  the
      public interest.  Effective immediately.
                                                    LRB9003573NTsbA
HB1027 Engrossed                              LRB9003573NTsbA
 1        AN ACT concerning the news media, amending named Acts.
 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:
 4        Section 5.  The Freedom of Information Act is amended  by
 5    changing Sections 2 and 6 as follows:
 6        (5 ILCS 140/2) (from Ch. 116, par. 202)
 7        Sec. 2.  Definitions.  As used in this Act:
 8        (a)  "Public  body"  means  any  legislative,  executive,
 9    administrative,  or  advisory  bodies  of  the  State,  state
10    universities   and  colleges,  counties,  townships,  cities,
11    villages, incorporated towns, school districts and all  other
12    municipal   corporations,  boards,  bureaus,  committees,  or
13    commissions of this State, and any subsidiary bodies  of  any
14    of  the foregoing including but not limited to committees and
15    subcommittees which are supported in whole or in part by  tax
16    revenue,  or which expend tax revenue. "Public body" does not
17    include a child death review team established under the Child
18    Death Review Team Act.
19        (b)  "Person"   means   any   individual,    corporation,
20    partnership,   firm,   organization  or  association,  acting
21    individually or as a group.
22        (c)  "Public records" means all records, reports,  forms,
23    writings,    letters,   memoranda,   books,   papers,   maps,
24    photographs, microfilms, cards, tapes, recordings, electronic
25    data processing records, recorded information and  all  other
26    documentary   materials,   regardless  of  physical  form  or
27    characteristics, having been  prepared,  or  having  been  or
28    being  used,  received, possessed or under the control of any
29    public body.  "Public records" includes, but is expressly not
30    limited to:  (i) administrative  manuals,  procedural  rules,
31    and instructions to staff, unless exempted by Section 7(p) of
HB1027 Engrossed            -2-               LRB9003573NTsbA
 1    this  Act;  (ii)  final  opinions  and  orders  made  in  the
 2    adjudication  of  cases,  except an educational institution's
 3    adjudication of student or employee grievance or disciplinary
 4    cases;  (iii)  substantive   rules;   (iv)   statements   and
 5    interpretations of policy which have been adopted by a public
 6    body;  (v)  final  planning  policies,  recommendations,  and
 7    decisions;  (vi)  factual  reports,  inspection  reports, and
 8    studies whether prepared by or for the public body; (vii) all
 9    information in any account, voucher, or contract dealing with
10    the receipt or expenditure of public or other funds of public
11    bodies; (viii) the names,  salaries,  titles,  and  dates  of
12    employment  of  all  employees and officers of public bodies;
13    (ix) materials containing opinions concerning the  rights  of
14    the  state,  the  public,  a  subdivision of state or a local
15    government, or of any private persons; (x) the name of  every
16    official  and  the final records of voting in all proceedings
17    of public bodies; (xi) applications for any contract, permit,
18    grant, or agreement except as  exempted  from  disclosure  by
19    subsection  (g)  of Section 7 of this Act; (xii) each report,
20    document,  study,  or  publication  prepared  by  independent
21    consultants or other independent contractors for  the  public
22    body; (xiii) all other information required by law to be made
23    available for public inspection or copying; (xiv) information
24    relating to any grant or contract made by or between a public
25    body  and  another  public  body or private organization; and
26    (xv) waiver documents filed with the State Superintendent  of
27    Education  or  the  president  of  the University of Illinois
28    under Section 30-12.5 of the School Code, concerning nominees
29    for General Assembly scholarships under Sections 30-9, 30-10,
30    and 30-11 of the School Code.
31        (d)  "Copying"  means  the  reproduction  of  any  public
32    record by means of any photographic,  electronic,  mechanical
33    or other process, device or means.
34        (e)  "Head  of  the  public  body"  means  the president,
HB1027 Engrossed            -3-               LRB9003573NTsbA
 1    mayor, chairman, presiding officer, director, superintendent,
 2    manager, supervisor or individual otherwise  holding  primary
 3    executive  and  administrative authority for the public body,
 4    or such person's duly authorized designee.
 5        (f)  "News media" means any newspaper or other periodical
 6    issued at regular intervals; a news service; a radio station;
 7    a television station; a community antenna television service;
 8    or any person or corporation engaged in the  making  of  news
 9    reels or other motion picture news for public showing.
10    (Source: P.A. 88-614, eff. 9-7-94; 89-681, eff. 12-13-96.)
11        (5 ILCS 140/6) (from Ch. 116, par. 206)
12        Sec. 6.  (a)  Each public body may charge fees reasonably
13    calculated  to  reimburse its actual cost for reproducing and
14    certifying public records and for the use, by any person,  of
15    the  equipment of the public body to copy records.  Such fees
16    shall exclude the costs of any search for and review  of  the
17    record,  and shall not exceed the actual cost of reproduction
18    and  certification,  unless  otherwise  provided   by   State
19    statute.   Such fees shall be imposed according to a standard
20    scale of fees,  established  and  made  public  by  the  body
21    imposing them.
22        (b)  Documents  shall be furnished without charge or at a
23    reduced charge, as determined by  the  public  body,  if  the
24    person  requesting  the documents states the specific purpose
25    for the request and indicates that a waiver or  reduction  of
26    the  fee  is  in the public interest.  Waiver or reduction of
27    the fee is in the public interest if the principal purpose of
28    the  request  is  to  access  and   disseminate   information
29    regarding  the health, safety and welfare or the legal rights
30    of the general public and is not for the principal purpose of
31    personal  or  commercial  benefit.   The   term   "commercial
32    benefit"  shall  not apply to requests made by the news media
33    as defined in this Act when  the  principal  purpose  of  the
HB1027 Engrossed            -4-               LRB9003573NTsbA
 1    request  is  to  access and disseminate information regarding
 2    the health, safety, and welfare or the legal  rights  of  the
 3    general  public.   In  setting  the  amount  of the waiver or
 4    reduction, the public body may take  into  consideration  the
 5    amount of materials requested and the cost of copying them.
 6        (c)  The  purposeful  imposition  of a fee not consistent
 7    with  subsections  (6)(a)  and  (b)  of  this  Act  shall  be
 8    considered a denial of  access  to  public  records  for  the
 9    purposes of judicial review.
10        (d)  The  fee  for an abstract of a driver's record shall
11    be as provided in Section  6-118  of  "The  Illinois  Vehicle
12    Code", approved September 29, 1969, as amended.
13    (Source: P.A. 85-1357.)
14        Section  10.   The  Illinois  Vehicle  Code is amended by
15    adding Section 1-148.5 and changing Section 2-123 as follows:
16        (625 ILCS 5/1-148.5 new)
17        Sec.  1-148.5.  News  media.   Any  newspaper  or   other
18    periodical  issued  at  regular  intervals; a news service; a
19    radio station; a  television  station;  a  community  antenna
20    television  service;  or any person or corporation engaged in
21    the making of news reels or other  motion  picture  news  for
22    public showing.
23        (625 ILCS 5/2-123) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 2-123)
24        Sec. 2-123.  Sale and Distribution of Information.
25        (a)  Except  as  otherwise  provided in this Section, the
26    Secretary may make the driver's license,  vehicle  and  title
27    registration  lists, in part or in whole, and any statistical
28    information derived  from  these  lists  available  to  local
29    governments,   elected  state  officials,  state  educational
30    institutions, public libraries  and  all  other  governmental
31    units of the State and Federal Government requesting them for
HB1027 Engrossed            -5-               LRB9003573NTsbA
 1    governmental  purposes.  The Secretary shall require any such
 2    applicant for services to pay for  the  costs  of  furnishing
 3    such  services  and the use of the equipment involved, and in
 4    addition is empowered to establish prices and charges for the
 5    services so furnished and  for  the  use  of  the  electronic
 6    equipment utilized.
 7        (b)  The Secretary is further empowered to and he may, in
 8    his  discretion,  furnish to any applicant, other than listed
 9    in subsection (a) of this Section, vehicle or driver data  on
10    a  computer tape, disk, or printout at a fixed fee of $200 in
11    advance and require in addition a further sufficient  deposit
12    based  upon  the  Secretary  of State's estimate of the total
13    cost of the information requested and a  charge  of  $20  per
14    1,000  units  or  part thereof identified or the actual cost,
15    whichever is greater. The Secretary is authorized  to  refund
16    any  difference between the additional deposit and the actual
17    cost of the request.  This service shall not be in lieu of an
18    abstract of a driver's record nor of a title or  registration
19    search.   The  information  sold  pursuant to this subsection
20    shall be the entire vehicle or  driver  data  list,  or  part
21    thereof.
22        (c)  Secretary  of  State  may  issue registration lists.
23    The Secretary of State shall compile and  publish,  at  least
24    annually,  a  list  of all registered vehicles.  Each list of
25    registered vehicles shall be arranged serially  according  to
26    the  registration numbers assigned to registered vehicles and
27    shall  contain  in  addition  the  names  and  addresses   of
28    registered  owners  and  a  brief description of each vehicle
29    including the serial or  other  identifying  number  thereof.
30    Such  compilation may be in such form as in the discretion of
31    the Secretary  of  State  may  seem  best  for  the  purposes
32    intended.
33        (d)  The  Secretary of State shall furnish no more than 2
34    current available lists of such registrations to the sheriffs
HB1027 Engrossed            -6-               LRB9003573NTsbA
 1    of all counties and to the chiefs of police of all cities and
 2    villages and towns of 2,000 population and over in this State
 3    at no cost.  Additional copies may be purchased at the fee of
 4    $400 each or at the cost of producing the list as  determined
 5    by the Secretary of State.
 6        (e)  The  Secretary  of  State shall upon written request
 7    and the payment of  the  fee  of  $400  furnish  the  current
 8    available  list  of  such  motor vehicle registrations to any
 9    person so long as the supply of available registration  lists
10    shall last.
11        (e-1)  Commercial purchasers of driver and vehicle record
12    databases  shall  enter  into  a  written  agreement with the
13    Secretary of State that includes disclosure of the commercial
14    use of the  intended  purchase.   Affected  drivers,  vehicle
15    owners,  or  registrants  may  request  that their personally
16    identifiable  information  not   be   used   for   commercial
17    solicitation purposes.
18        (f)  Title   or  registration  search  and  certification
19    thereof - Fee. The Secretary of State shall make a  title  or
20    registration  search  of  the  records  of  his  office and a
21    written report on the  same  for  any  person,  upon  written
22    application  of  such  person, accompanied by a fee of $4 for
23    each registration or title search.  No fee shall  be  charged
24    for  a title or registration search, or for the certification
25    thereof requested by a government agency.
26        The  Secretary  of  State  shall  certify  a   title   or
27    registration   record  upon  written  request.  The  fee  for
28    certification shall be $4 in addition to the fee required for
29    a title or registration search. Certification shall  be  made
30    under  the  signature of the Secretary of State  and shall be
31    authenticated by Seal of the Secretary of State.
32        The Secretary of State may notify the  vehicle  owner  or
33    registrant  of  the  request  for  purchase  of  his title or
34    registration information as the Secretary deems appropriate.
HB1027 Engrossed            -7-               LRB9003573NTsbA
 1        The vehicle owner or  registrant  residence  address  and
 2    other personally identifiable information on the record shall
 3    not  be  disclosed.   This  nondisclosure  shall not apply to
 4    requests  made  by  law  enforcement  officials,   government
 5    agencies,   financial   institutions,   attorneys,  insurers,
 6    employers, automobile associated businesses,  other  business
 7    entities  for  purposes  consistent with the Illinois Vehicle
 8    Code, the vehicle owner or registrant, or other  entities  as
 9    the  Secretary  may  exempt  by  rule  and  regulation.  This
10    information may be withheld from the entities  listed  above,
11    except   law   enforcement   and   government  agencies  upon
12    presentation of a valid court order  of  protection  for  the
13    duration of the order.
14        No  information  shall be released to the requestor until
15    expiration of a 10 day period.  This 10 day period shall  not
16    apply  to  requests  for  information made by law enforcement
17    officials,  government  agencies,   financial   institutions,
18    attorneys,   insurers,   employers,   automobile   associated
19    businesses,  persons licensed as a private detective or firms
20    licensed as a private  detective  agency  under  the  Private
21    Detective,  Private  Alarm, and Private Security Act of 1983,
22    who  are  employed  by  or  are  acting  on  behalf  of   law
23    enforcement   officials,   government   agencies,   financial
24    institutions,   attorneys,  insurers,  employers,  automobile
25    associated  businesses,  and  other  business  entities   for
26    purposes  consistent  with  the  Illinois  Vehicle  Code, the
27    vehicle  owner  or  registrant  or  other  entities  as   the
28    Secretary may exempt by rule and regulation.
29        Any  misrepresentation  made  by  a requestor of title or
30    vehicle information shall be punishable as a  petty  offense,
31    except in the case of persons licensed as a private detective
32    or  firms  licensed as a private detective agency which shall
33    be subject to disciplinary sanctions under Section 22  or  25
34    of the Private Detective, Private Alarm, and Private Security
HB1027 Engrossed            -8-               LRB9003573NTsbA
 1    Act of 1983.
 2        (g) 1.  The  Secretary  of  State  may, upon receipt of a
 3        written request and a fee of $5, furnish to the person or
 4        agency so requesting a driver's  record.   Such  document
 5        may   include  a  record  of:  current  driver's  license
 6        issuance information,  except  that  the  information  on
 7        judicial  driving  permits  shall  be  available  only as
 8        otherwise provided  by  this  Code;  convictions;  orders
 9        entered  revoking,  suspending  or  cancelling a driver's
10        license  or  privilege;   and   notations   of   accident
11        involvement.   All  other  information,  unless otherwise
12        permitted by this Code, shall remain confidential.
13             2.  The Secretary of State may certify  an  abstract
14        of  a  driver's  record  upon  written  request therefor.
15        Such certification shall be made under the  signature  of
16        the  Secretary of State and shall be authenticated by the
17        Seal of his office.
18             3.  All  requests  for  driving  record  information
19        shall be made in a manner prescribed by the Secretary.
20             The Secretary  of  State  may  notify  the  affected
21        driver of the request for purchase of his driver's record
22        as the Secretary deems appropriate.
23             The  affected  driver  residence  address  and other
24        personally identifiable information on the  record  shall
25        not  be disclosed.  This nondisclosure shall not apply to
26        requests made by law  enforcement  officials,  government
27        agencies,  financial  institutions,  attorneys, insurers,
28        employers,  automobile   associated   businesses,   other
29        business   entities  for  purposes  consistent  with  the
30        Illinois Vehicle Code,  the  affected  driver,  or  other
31        entities   as  the  Secretary  may  exempt  by  rule  and
32        regulation.  This information may be  withheld  from  the
33        entities   listed   above,  except  law  enforcement  and
34        government agencies, upon presentation of a  valid  court
HB1027 Engrossed            -9-               LRB9003573NTsbA
 1        order of protection for the duration of the order.
 2             No  information  shall  be released to the requester
 3        until expiration of a 10 day period.  This 10 day  period
 4        shall  not  apply to requests for information made by law
 5        enforcement  officials,  government  agencies,  financial
 6        institutions, attorneys, insurers, employers,  automobile
 7        associated  businesses,  persons  licensed  as  a private
 8        detective or firms licensed as a private detective agency
 9        under the Private Detective, Private Alarm,  and  Private
10        Security  Act  of 1983, who are employed by or are acting
11        on  behalf  of  law  enforcement  officials,   government
12        agencies,  financial  institutions,  attorneys, insurers,
13        employers, automobile associated  businesses,  and  other
14        business   entities  for  purposes  consistent  with  the
15        Illinois Vehicle  Code,  the  affected  driver  or  other
16        entities   as  the  Secretary  may  exempt  by  rule  and
17        regulation.
18             Any misrepresentation made by a requestor of  driver
19        information  shall  be  punishable  as  a  petty offense,
20        except in the case  of  persons  licensed  as  a  private
21        detective or firms licensed as a private detective agency
22        which  shall  be  subject to disciplinary sanctions under
23        Section 22 or 25 of the Private Detective, Private Alarm,
24        and Private Security Act of 1983.
25             4.  The Secretary of State may furnish without  fee,
26        upon the written request of a law enforcement agency, any
27        information  from  a  driver's  record  on  file with the
28        Secretary of State when such information is  required  in
29        the enforcement of this Code or any other law relating to
30        the  operation  of  motor  vehicles, including records of
31        dispositions; documented information involving the use of
32        a  motor  vehicle;  whether  such  individual   has,   or
33        previously  had,  a driver's license; and the address and
34        personal  description  as  reflected  on  said   driver's
HB1027 Engrossed            -10-              LRB9003573NTsbA
 1        record.
 2             5.  Except  as  otherwise  provided in this Section,
 3        the  Secretary  of  State  may  furnish,   without   fee,
 4        information  from  an individual driver's record on file,
 5        if a written request therefor is submitted by any  public
 6        transit   system   or  authority,  public  defender,  law
 7        enforcement agency, a state  or  federal  agency,  or  an
 8        Illinois  local  intergovernmental  association,  if  the
 9        request  is  for  the  purpose  of  a background check of
10        applicants for employment with the requesting agency,  or
11        for the purpose of an official investigation conducted by
12        the  agency,  or  to  determine a current address for the
13        driver so public funds can be recovered or  paid  to  the
14        driver, or for any other lawful purpose.
15             The  Secretary may also furnish the courts a copy of
16        an abstract of a driver's record, without fee, subsequent
17        to an arrest for a  violation  of  Section  11-501  or  a
18        similar  provision  of  a local ordinance.  Such abstract
19        may   include   records   of   dispositions;   documented
20        information involving the  use  of  a  motor  vehicle  as
21        contained  in  the  current file; whether such individual
22        has, or previously  had,  a  driver's  license;  and  the
23        address  and  personal  description  as reflected on said
24        driver's record.
25             6.  Any abstract issued by the  Secretary  of  State
26        pursuant  to  this Section, to a court or on request of a
27        law enforcement agency, for the record of a named  person
28        as  to  the status of the person's driver's license shall
29        be prima facie evidence of the facts therein  stated  and
30        if  the  name  appearing  in such abstract is the same as
31        that of a person named in an information or warrant, such
32        abstract shall be prima facie evidence  that  the  person
33        named  in  such information or warrant is the same person
34        as the person named in such abstract.
HB1027 Engrossed            -11-              LRB9003573NTsbA
 1             7.  Subject to any  restrictions  contained  in  the
 2        Juvenile  Court Act of 1987, and upon receipt of a proper
 3        request and a fee of $5, the  Secretary  of  State  shall
 4        provide  a driver's record to the affected driver, or the
 5        affected  driver's  attorney,  upon  verification.   Such
 6        record shall contain all the information referred  to  in
 7        paragraph  1  of  this  subsection (g) plus: any recorded
 8        accident involvement as a  driver;  information  recorded
 9        pursuant to subsection (e) of Section 6-117 and paragraph
10        4  of  subsection (a) of Section 6-204 of this Code.  All
11        other information, unless  otherwise  permitted  by  this
12        Code, shall remain confidential.
13        (h)  The  Secretary  shall  not  disclose social security
14    numbers except pursuant to a written request by, or with  the
15    prior  written  consent  of,  the  individual  except to: (1)
16    officers and employees of the Secretary who have  a  need  to
17    know  the  social  security  numbers  in performance of their
18    official duties, (2) law enforcement officials for a  lawful,
19    civil  or  criminal law enforcement investigation, and if the
20    head of the law enforcement agency has made a written request
21    to the Secretary specifying the law enforcement investigation
22    for which the social security numbers are being  sought,  (3)
23    the  United States Department of Transportation, or any other
24    State, pursuant to the administration and enforcement of  the
25    Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986, (4)  pursuant to
26    the  order  of  a court of competent jurisdiction, or (5) the
27    Department of Public Aid for utilization in the child support
28    enforcement  duties  assigned  to   that   Department   under
29    provisions  of  the  Public Aid Code after the individual has
30    received   advanced   meaningful   notification    of    what
31    redisclosure  is  sought  by the Secretary in accordance with
32    the federal Privacy Act; provided, the redisclosure shall not
33    be authorized by the Secretary prior to September 30, 1992.
34        (i)  The Secretary of State is  empowered  to  promulgate
HB1027 Engrossed            -12-              LRB9003573NTsbA
 1    rules and regulations to effectuate this Section.
 2        (j)  Medical  statements  or  medical reports received in
 3    the Secretary of State's Office shall  be  confidential.   No
 4    confidential  information may be open to public inspection or
 5    the  contents  disclosed  to  anyone,  except  officers   and
 6    employees  of  the  Secretary  who  have  a  need to know the
 7    information contained in the medical reports and  the  Driver
 8    License  Medical  Advisory  Board,  unless  so directed by an
 9    order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
10        (k)  All fees collected under this Section shall be  paid
11    into  the  Road Fund of the State Treasury, except that $3 of
12    the $5 fee for a driver's  record  shall  be  paid  into  the
13    Secretary of State Special Services Fund.
14        (l)  The    Secretary   of   State   shall   report   his
15    recommendations to the General Assembly by January  1,  1993,
16    regarding  the  sale  and  dissemination  of  the information
17    maintained by the Secretary, including the sale of  lists  of
18    driver and vehicle records.
19        (m)  Requests   made  by  the  news  media  for  driver's
20    license, vehicle, and title registration information  may  be
21    furnished   without   charge  or  at  a  reduced  charge,  as
22    determined by the  Secretary  of  State,  when  the  specific
23    purpose  for  requesting the documents is deemed to be in the
24    public interest.  Waiver or reduction of the fee  is  in  the
25    public interest if the principal purpose of the request is to
26    access  and  disseminate  information  regarding  the health,
27    safety, and welfare or the legal rights of the general public
28    and  is  not  for  the  principal  purpose  of  personal   or
29    commercial benefit.
30    (Source: P.A.  88-208;  88-363; 88-670, eff. 12-2-94; 89-503,
31    eff. 7-1-96.)
32        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
33    becoming law.

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