HB2888 amends the Illinois Freedom of Information Act to change how public bodies handle fee disclosures for certain public records requests. The bill removes the requirement that a public body provide an accounting of all personnel hours when it imposes a fee for a voluminous request for electronic records under subsection (a-5). It also removes the same accounting requirement from the commercial-request fee provision in subsection (f), while leaving the underlying fee authority in place.
The bill does not eliminate fees for voluminous or commercial FOIA requests. Instead, it narrows the reporting obligation by no longer requiring agencies to itemize personnel hours in the accounting they provide to requesters when those fees are charged. Other FOIA fee rules remain unchanged, including limits on copying charges, the first-50-page free copy rule, and the existing provisions for commercial requests, off-site storage retrieval costs, and fee waivers in the public interest.
Impact
HB2888 would amend Section 6 of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, specifically the provisions governing fees for voluminous electronic requests and commercial requests. Its practical effect is to reduce the administrative disclosure burden on public bodies by eliminating the statutory requirement to account for personnel hours in fee billings for those categories of requests. Requesters would still receive fee and cost information, but not a personnel-hours breakdown where the bill applies. The measure affects public bodies that process FOIA requests and requesters who receive large or commercial records productions.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or vote record is available in the provided materials, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears procedural and administrative rather than substantive, suggesting it may be framed as a simplification of FOIA fee accounting rather than a major policy change. The caption and language indicate a narrow focus on fees and costs, with no evidence in the provided record of recorded controversy or bipartisan support.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is transparency: supporters may view the bill as reducing unnecessary administrative work for public bodies, while opponents may argue that removing personnel-hour accounting makes it harder for requesters to verify whether FOIA fees are justified. Any disagreement would likely center on the balance between easing agency workload and preserving detailed fee accountability for voluminous and commercial requests. Because no discussion transcript or votes were provided, no specific legislators, agencies, or stakeholder groups are identified as taking positions.