100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB1831

 

Introduced 2/9/2017, by Sen. Michael E. Hastings

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
735 ILCS 110/15

    Amends the Citizen Participation Act. Provides that any official, employee, or agent of a public body, or a public body on behalf of its official, employee, or agent, has a right of action in a State circuit court against a requester if a request submitted by the requester under the Freedom of Information Act is based on, relates to, or is in response to any act or acts by the official, employee, or agent of the public body, in furtherance of the rights of the official, employee, or agent to petition, speak freely, associate freely, or otherwise participate in government. Provides that the court shall award liquidated damages of $5,000 for each offending request in addition to reasonable attorney's fees and costs associated with bringing such an action, unless the court finds that the requester has produced clear and convincing evidence that: (1) the request is not based on, related to, or in response to any act or acts by the official, employee, or agent of the public body, in furtherance of the rights of the official, employee, or agent to petition, speak freely, associate freely, or otherwise participate in government; or (2) the act or acts of the official, employee, or agent of the public body are not immunized from liability, or are not in furtherance of the acts immunized from liability, under the Act. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB1831LRB100 08542 HEP 18667 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Citizen Participation Act is amended by
5changing Section 15 as follows:
 
6    (735 ILCS 110/15)
7    Sec. 15. Applicability; retaliatory requests under the
8Freedom of Information Act. This Act applies to any motion to
9dispose of a claim in a judicial proceeding on the grounds that
10the claim is based on, relates to, or is in response to any act
11or acts of the moving party in furtherance of the moving
12party's rights of petition, speech, association, or to
13otherwise participate in government.
14    Acts in furtherance of the constitutional rights to
15petition, speech, association, and participation in government
16are immune from liability, regardless of intent or purpose,
17except when not genuinely aimed at procuring favorable
18government action, result, or outcome.
19    Any official, employee, or agent of a public body, or a
20public body on behalf of its official, employee, or agent, has
21a right of action in a State circuit court against a requester
22if a request submitted by the requester under the Freedom of
23Information Act is based on, relates to, or is in response to

 

 

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1any act or acts by the official, employee, or agent of the
2public body in furtherance of the rights of the official,
3employee, or agent to petition, speak freely, associate freely,
4or otherwise participate in government. The court shall award
5liquidated damages of $5,000 for each offending request in
6addition to reasonable attorney's fees and costs associated
7with bringing an action pursuant to this Section, unless the
8court finds that the requester has produced clear and
9convincing evidence that:
10        (1) the request is not based on, related to, or in
11    response to any act or acts by the official, employee, or
12    agent of the public body, in furtherance of the rights of
13    the official, employee, or agent to petition, speak freely,
14    associate freely, or otherwise participate in government;
15    or
16        (2) the act or acts of the official, employee, or agent
17    of the public body are not immunized from liability, or are
18    not in furtherance of the acts immunized from liability,
19    under this Act.
20(Source: P.A. 95-506, eff. 8-28-07.)
 
21    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
22becoming law.