Bill Text: IL HB0048 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Open Meetings Act. In a provision permitting an interactive video conference in establishing a quorum for a local workforce investment area in an open meeting of that public body, with certain conditions, adds that a tourism board, convention center board, or civic center board also is permitted to use an interactive video conference in establishing a quorum, with the same conditions. In a provision exempting a local workforce innovation area, with certain conditions, from requirements to be physically present at the location of a closed meeting, adds the same exemption for a tourism board, convention center board, or civic center board, with the same conditions. In a provision exempting a local workforce innovation area, with certain conditions, from limitations regarding attendance by members of a public body by a means other than physical presence, adds the same exemption for a tourism board, convention center board, or civic center board, with the same conditions. Replaces references to "local workforce innovation areas" with references to "local workforce investment areas" in provisions regarding exemptions from requirements to be physically present at the location of a closed meeting and exemptions from limitations regarding attendance by other than physical presence.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-04 - Assigned to Executive Committee [HB0048 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB0048-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB0048 Introduced , by Rep. David Friess SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
5 ILCS 120/2.01 from Ch. 102, par. 42.01
5 ILCS 120/7
Amends the Open Meetings Act. In a provision permitting an interactive video conference in establishing a quorum for a local workforce investment area in an open meeting of that public body, with certain conditions, adds that a tourism board, convention center board, or civic center board also is permitted to use an interactive video conference in establishing a quorum, with the same conditions. In a provision exempting a local workforce innovation area, with certain conditions, from requirements to be physically present at the location of a closed meeting, adds the same exemption for a tourism board, convention center board, or civic center board, with the same conditions. In a provision exempting a local workforce innovation area, with certain conditions, from limitations regarding attendance by members of a public body by a means other than physical presence, adds the same exemption for a tourism board, convention center board, or civic center board, with the same conditions. Replaces references to "local workforce innovation areas" with references to "local workforce investment areas" in provisions regarding exemptions from requirements to be physically present at the location of a closed meeting and exemptions from limitations regarding attendance by other than physical presence.
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A BILL FOR
HB0048 LRB104 03148 BDA 13169 b
AN ACT concerning State government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Open Meetings Act is amended by changing
Sections 2.01 and 7 as follows:
(5 ILCS 120/2.01) (from Ch. 102, par. 42.01)
Sec. 2.01. All meetings required by this Act to be public
shall be held at specified times and places which are
convenient and open to the public. No meeting required by this
Act to be public shall be held on a legal holiday unless the
regular meeting day falls on that holiday.
Except as otherwise provided in this Act, a quorum of
members of a public body must be physically present at the
location of an open meeting. If, however, an open meeting of a
public body (i) with statewide jurisdiction, (ii) that is an
Illinois library system with jurisdiction over a specific
geographic area of more than 4,500 square miles, (iii) that is
a municipal transit district with jurisdiction over a specific
geographic area of more than 4,500 square miles, or (iv) that
is a local workforce investment area with jurisdiction over a
specific geographic area of more than 4,500 square miles that
is a local workforce investment area, tourism board,
convention center board, or civic center board is held

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simultaneously at one of its offices and one or more other
locations in a public building, which may include other of its
offices, through an interactive video conference and the
public body provides public notice and public access as
required under this Act for all locations, then members
physically present in those locations all count towards
determining a quorum. "Public building", as used in this
Section, means any building or portion thereof owned or leased
by any public body. The requirement that a quorum be
physically present at the location of an open meeting shall
not apply, however, to State advisory boards or bodies that do
not have authority to make binding recommendations or
determinations or to take any other substantive action.
Except as otherwise provided in this Act, a quorum of
members of a public body that is not (i) a public body with
statewide jurisdiction, (ii) an Illinois library system with
jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than
4,500 square miles, (iii) a municipal transit district with
jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than
4,500 square miles, or (iv) a public body a local workforce
innovation area with jurisdiction over a specific geographic
area of more than 4,500 square miles that is a local workforce
investment area, tourism board, convention center board, or
civic center board must be physically present at the location
of a closed meeting. Other members who are not physically
present at a closed meeting of such a public body may

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participate in the meeting by means of a video or audio
conference. For the purposes of this Section, "local workforce
innovation area" means any local workforce innovation area or
areas designated by the Governor pursuant to the federal
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act or its reauthorizing
legislation.
(Source: P.A. 100-477, eff. 9-8-17; 101-640, eff. 6-12-20.)
(5 ILCS 120/7)
Sec. 7. Attendance by a means other than physical
presence.
(a) If a quorum of the members of the public body is
physically present as required by Section 2.01, 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: (i) personal illness or
disability; (ii) employment purposes or the business of the
public body; (iii) a family or other emergency; or (iv)
unexpected childcare obligations. "Other means" is by video or
audio conference.
(b) If a member wishes to attend a meeting by other means,
the member must notify the recording secretary or clerk of the
public body before the meeting unless advance notice is
impractical.
(c) A majority of the public body may allow a member to
attend a meeting by other means only in accordance with and to

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the extent allowed by rules adopted by the public body. The
rules must conform to the requirements and restrictions of
this Section, may further limit the extent to which attendance
by other means is allowed, and may provide for the giving of
additional notice to the public or further facilitate public
access to meetings.
(d) The limitations of this Section shall not apply to (i)
closed meetings of (A) public bodies with statewide
jurisdiction, (B) Illinois library systems with jurisdiction
over a specific geographic area of more than 4,500 square
miles, (C) municipal transit districts with jurisdiction over
a specific geographic area of more than 4,500 square miles, or
(D) public bodies local workforce innovation areas with
jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than
4,500 square miles that are a local workforce investment area,
tourism board, convention center board, or civic center board
or (ii) open or closed meetings of State advisory boards or
bodies that do not have authority to make binding
recommendations or determinations or to take any other
substantive action. State advisory boards or bodies, public
bodies with statewide jurisdiction, Illinois library systems
with jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than
4,500 square miles, municipal transit districts with
jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than
4,500 square miles, and local workforce investment areas with
jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than

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4,500 square miles, however, may permit members to attend
meetings by other means only in accordance with and to the
extent allowed by specific procedural rules adopted by the
body. For the purposes of this Section, "local workforce
innovation area" means any local workforce innovation area or
areas designated by the Governor pursuant to the federal
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act or its reauthorizing
legislation.
(e) Subject to the requirements of Section 2.06 but
notwithstanding any other provision of law, an open or closed
meeting subject to this Act may be conducted by audio or video
conference, without the physical presence of a quorum of the
members, so long as the following conditions are met:
(1) the Governor or the Director of the Illinois
Department of Public Health has issued a disaster
declaration related to public health concerns because of a
disaster as defined in Section 4 of the Illinois Emergency
Management Agency Act, and all or part of the jurisdiction
of the public body is covered by the disaster area;
(2) the head of the public body as defined in
subsection (e) of Section 2 of the Freedom of Information
Act determines that an in-person meeting or a meeting
conducted under this Act is not practical or prudent
because of a disaster;
(3) all members of the body participating in the
meeting, wherever their physical location, shall be

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verified and can hear one another and can hear all
discussion and testimony;
(4) for open meetings, members of the public present
at the regular meeting location of the body can hear all
discussion and testimony and all votes of the members of
the body, unless attendance at the regular meeting
location is not feasible due to the disaster, including
the issued disaster declaration, in which case the public
body must make alternative arrangements and provide notice
pursuant to this Section of such alternative arrangements
in a manner to allow any interested member of the public
access to contemporaneously hear all discussion,
testimony, and roll call votes, such as by offering a
telephone number or a web-based link;
(5) at least one member of the body, chief legal
counsel, or chief administrative officer is physically
present at the regular meeting location, unless unfeasible
due to the disaster, including the issued disaster
declaration; and
(6) all votes are conducted by roll call, so each
member's vote on each issue can be identified and
recorded.
(7) Except in the event of a bona fide emergency, 48
hours' notice shall be given of a meeting to be held
pursuant to this Section. Notice shall be given to all
members of the public body, shall be posted on the website

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of the public body, and shall also be provided to any news
media who has requested notice of meetings pursuant to
subsection (a) of Section 2.02 of this Act. If the public
body declares a bona fide emergency:
(A) Notice shall be given pursuant to subsection
(a) of Section 2.02 of this Act, and the presiding
officer shall state the nature of the emergency at the
beginning of the meeting.
(B) The public body must comply with the verbatim
recording requirements set forth in Section 2.06 of
this Act.
(8) Each member of the body participating in a meeting
by audio or video conference for a meeting held pursuant
to this Section is considered present at the meeting for
purposes of determining a quorum and participating in all
proceedings.
(9) In addition to the requirements for open meetings
under Section 2.06, public bodies holding open meetings
under this subsection (e) must also keep a verbatim record
of all their meetings in the form of an audio or video
recording. Verbatim records made under this paragraph (9)
shall be made available to the public under, and are
otherwise subject to, the provisions of Section 2.06.
(10) The public body shall bear all costs associated
with compliance with this subsection (e).
(Source: P.A. 103-311, eff. 7-28-23.)