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HB4444 • 2026
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT-FEE
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT-FEE
Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
To FOIA & OMA Subcommittee
House Committee Amendment No. 1 To FOIA & OMA Subcommittee
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Executive Committee
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Daniel Didech
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee
Assigned to Executive Committee
First Reading
Referred to Rules Committee
Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Daniel Didech
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT-FEE
Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4444 Select Language × The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein. Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet. The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website. NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window. 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Full Text of HB4444 Home Legislation Full Text HB4444 - 104th General Assembly Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Select Menu Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Printer Friendly Version Introduced House Amendment 001 Printer Friendly Version Introduced House Amendment 001 Open PDF 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB4444 Introduced 1/20/2026, by Rep. Daniel Didech SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 5 ILCS 140/6 from Ch. 116, par. 206 Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that a public body may charge the actual cost (rather than up to $10) for each hour spent by personnel in searching for and retrieving a requesting record or in examining the record for necessary redactions. Specifies that no fees shall be charged for the first 2 hours (rather than the first 8 hours) spent by personnel searching for or retrieving a requested record. Deletes a provision that limits the applicability of these cost recovery provisions to commercial requests. LRB104 16721 BDA 30127 b A BILL FOR HB4444 LRB104 16721 BDA 30127 b 1 AN ACT concerning government. 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 Section 6 as follows: 6 (5 ILCS 140/6) (from Ch. 116, par. 206) 7 Sec. 6. Authority to charge fees. 8 (a) When a person requests a copy of a record maintained in 9 an electronic format, the public body shall furnish it in the 10 electronic format specified by the requester, if feasible. If 11 it is not feasible to furnish the public records in the 12 specified electronic format, then the public body shall 13 furnish it in the format in which it is maintained by the 14 public body, or in paper format at the option of the requester. 15 A public body may charge the requester for the actual cost of 16 purchasing the recording medium, whether disc, diskette, tape, 17 or other medium. If a request is not a request for a commercial 18 purpose or a voluminous request, a public body may not charge 19 the requester for the costs of any search for and review of the 20 records or other personnel costs associated with reproducing 21 the records. Except to the extent that the General Assembly 22 expressly provides, statutory fees applicable to copies of 23 public records when furnished in a paper format shall not be HB4444 - 2 - LRB104 16721 BDA 30127 b 1 applicable to those records when furnished in an electronic 2 format. 3 (a-5) If a voluminous request is for electronic records 4 and those records are not in a portable document format (PDF), 5 the public body may charge up to $20 for not more than 2 6 megabytes of data, up to $40 for more than 2 but not more than 7 4 megabytes of data, and up to $100 for more than 4 megabytes 8 of data. If a voluminous request is for electronic records and 9 those records are in a portable document format, the public 10 body may charge up to $20 for not more than 80 megabytes of 11 data, up to $40 for more than 80 megabytes but not more than 12 160 megabytes of data, and up to $100 for more than 160 13 megabytes of data. If the responsive electronic records are in 14 both a portable document format and not in a portable document 15 format, the public body may separate the fees and charge the 16 requester under both fee scales. 17 If a public body imposes a fee pursuant to this subsection 18 (a-5), it must provide the requester with an accounting of all 19 fees, costs, and personnel hours in connection with the 20 request for public records. 21 (b) Except when a fee is otherwise fixed by statute, each 22 public body may charge fees reasonably calculated to reimburse 23 its actual cost for reproducing and certifying public records 24 and for the use, by any person, of the equipment of the public 25 body to copy records. No fees shall be charged for the first 50 26 pages of black and white, letter or legal sized copies HB4444 - 3 - LRB104 16721 BDA 30127 b 1 requested by a requester. The fee for black and white, letter 2 or legal sized copies shall not exceed 15 cents per page. If a 3 public body provides copies in color or in a size other than 4 letter or legal, the public body may not charge more than its 5 actual cost for reproducing the records. In calculating its 6 actual cost for reproducing records or for the use of the 7 equipment of the public body to reproduce records, a public 8 body shall not include the costs of any search for and review 9 of the records or other personnel costs associated with 10 reproducing the records, except for commercial requests as 11 provided in subsection (f) of this Section. Such fees shall be 12 imposed according to a standard scale of fees, established and 13 made public by the body imposing them. The cost for certifying 14 a record shall not exceed $1. 15 (c) Documents shall be furnished without charge or at a 16 reduced charge, as determined by the public body, if the 17 person requesting the documents states the specific purpose 18 for the request and indicates that a waiver or reduction of the 19 fee is in the public interest. Waiver or reduction of the fee 20 is in the public interest if the principal purpose of the 21 request is to access and disseminate information regarding the 22 health, safety and welfare or the legal rights of the general 23 public and is not for the principal purpose of personal or 24 commercial benefit. For purposes of this subsection, 25 "commercial benefit" shall not apply to requests made by news 26 media when the principal purpose of the request is to access HB4444 - 4 - LRB104 16721 BDA 30127 b 1 and disseminate information regarding the health, safety, and 2 welfare or the legal rights of the general public. In setting 3 the amount of the waiver or reduction, the public body may take 4 into consideration the amount of materials requested and the 5 cost of copying them. 6 (d) The imposition of a fee not consistent with 7 subsections (6)(a) and (b) of this Act constitutes a denial of 8 access to public records for the purposes of judicial review. 9 (e) The fee for each abstract of a driver's record shall be 10 as provided in Section 6-118 of "The Illinois Vehicle Code", 11 approved September 29, 1969, as amended, whether furnished as 12 a paper copy or as an electronic copy. 13 (f) A public body may charge the actual cost up to $10 for 14 each hour spent by personnel in searching for and retrieving a 15 requested record or examining the record for necessary 16 redactions. No fees shall be charged for the first 2 8 hours 17 spent by personnel in searching for or retrieving a requested 18 record. A public body may charge the actual cost of retrieving 19 and transporting public records from an off-site storage 20 facility when the public records are maintained by a 21 third-party storage company under contract with the public 22 body. If a public body imposes a fee pursuant to this 23 subsection (f), it must provide the requester with an 24 accounting of all fees, costs, and personnel hours in 25 connection with the request for public records. The provisions 26 of this subsection (f) apply only to commercial requests. HB4444 - 5 - LRB104 16721 BDA 30127 b 1 (Source: P.A. 97-579, eff. 8-26-11; 98-1129, eff. 12-3-14.) Footer Disclaimer This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706. Contact ILGA Webmaster ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies. 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