Summary as Introduced
Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that, if a quorum of the members of the public body is physically present, a majority of the public body may allow a member of that body to attend the meeting by other means if the member is prevented from physically attending because of performance of active military duty as a service member. Defines "active military duty" and "service member". Effective immediately.
Staff Analysis
The legislation amends the Open Meetings Act to expand how township officials may fulfill required training. Elected or appointed members of a township public body may now satisfy training requirements by completing a course offered by an organization representing townships under the Township Code. The bill also prohibits any public body from holding or scheduling a regular or special meeting on the day of an election.
The bill makes several updates to the Freedom of Information Act. Electronic FOIA requests must include the full text of the request within the body of the submission, and public bodies are not required to open electronic attachments or hyperlinks to access request details. Within five business days of receiving a request, a public body with a reasonable belief that the requester is not a real person may require oral or written verification. In addition, documents designated as security-sensitive under U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and National Materials Program standards are exempt from disclosure.
A conforming change is made to the Local Records Act, and the bill includes additional technical updates. The legislation takes effect January 1, 2026.