Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that expands Open Meetings Act training options for township officials in Illinois.

Highlights:

• Prohibits public bodies from holding or scheduling regular or special meetings on the day of a general primary election, general election, consolidated primary election, or a consolidated election (Sec. 5). 

• Prohibits home rule units from scheduling meetings in a manner inconsistent with this act (Sec. 5). 

• Authorizes a public body to allow a member of that body to attend a meeting by means other than being physically present if that member is prevented from being physically present due to performance of active military duty as a service member (Sec. 7). 

• Specifies that “public records” do not include junk mail (Sec. 10). 

• Defines “junk mail” as any unsolicited commercial mail or electronic communication sent to a public body and not responded to by an official, employee or agent of the public body (Sec. 10). 

• Specifies that as a cybersecurity measure, no public body shall be required to open electronically attached files or hyperlinks to view or access details of a request (Sec. 10). 

• Authorizes a public body to request a requester to verify orally or in writing that they are a person if the public body has a reasonable belief that the request was not submitted by a person (Sec. 10). 

• Specifies that if a public body does not maintain a website, it is required to post certain information at each of its regional or administrative offices (Sec. 10). 

• Specifies that documents that, pursuant to the State of Illinois’ 1987 Agreement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the corresponding requirement to maintain compatibility with the National Materials Program, have been determined to be security sensitive, are exempt from inspection and copying (Sec. 10). 

Full Bill Text