Bill Text: IL HB1039 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Public Official Body Camera Act. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall develop rules for the use of body cameras by public officials of the State. Specifies requirements concerning the use of body cameras. Provides that recordings made with the use of a body camera worn by a public official are subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act only to the extent recordings or portions of recordings are responsive to the request. Provides that the recordings may be used as evidence in any administrative, judicial, legislative, or disciplinary proceeding. Provides that, if a court or other finder of fact finds by a preponderance of the evidence that a recording was intentionally not captured, destroyed, altered, or intermittently captured in violation of the Act, then the court or other finder of fact shall consider or be instructed to consider that violation in weighing the evidence, unless the State or public official provides a reasonable justification. Makes conforming changes to the Freedom of Information Act.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-09 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB1039 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB1039-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1039 Introduced , by Rep. John M. Cabello SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act
5 ILCS 140/7.5
Creates the Public Official Body Camera Act. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall develop rules for the use of body cameras by public officials of the State. Specifies requirements concerning the use of body cameras. Provides that recordings made with the use of a body camera worn by a public official are subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act only to the extent recordings or portions of recordings are responsive to the request. Provides that the recordings may be used as evidence in any administrative, judicial, legislative, or disciplinary proceeding. Provides that, if a court or other finder of fact finds by a preponderance of the evidence that a recording was intentionally not captured, destroyed, altered, or intermittently captured in violation of the Act, then the court or other finder of fact shall consider or be instructed to consider that violation in weighing the evidence, unless the State or public official provides a reasonable justification. Makes conforming changes to the Freedom of Information Act.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning State government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Public
Official Body Camera Act.
Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
"Body camera" means an electronic camera system for
creating, generating, sending, receiving, storing, displaying,
and processing audiovisual recordings that may be worn about
the person wearing the device.
"Official duties" means the duties and responsibilities of
the public official that may vary depending on the role of the
public official.
"Public official" means any person who is elected or
appointed to public office.
Section 10. Requirements; body cameras.
(a) The State Board of Elections shall develop rules for
the use of body cameras by public officials of this State. The
policy adopted must include, at a minimum, all of the
following:
(1) Cameras must be equipped with pre-event recording,
capable of recording at least the 30 seconds prior to

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camera activation.
(2) Cameras must be capable of recording for a period
of 10 hours or more.
(3) Cameras must be turned on at all times when the
public official is engaged in his or her official duties.
The State Board of Elections shall prescribe when a public
official needs to wear a body camera to be in compliance
with this Act.
(4) The public official must provide notice of
recording to any person if the person has a reasonable
expectation of privacy and proof of notice must be evident
in the recording.
(5) Recordings made on a body camera worn by a public
official must be retained on a recording medium for a
period of 90 days. Under no circumstances shall any
recording made with an body camera worn by a public
official be altered, erased, or destroyed prior to the
expiration of the 90-day storage period.
(6) For the purposes of redaction, labeling, or
duplicating recordings, access to camera recordings shall
be restricted to only those personnel responsible for
those purposes.
(b) Recordings made with the use of a body camera worn by a
public official are subject to disclosure under the Freedom of
Information Act only to the extent the recordings or portions
of recordings are responsive to the request. Nothing in this

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subsection shall require the disclosure of any recording or
portion of any recording which would otherwise be exempt from
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Nothing in
this subsection shall limit access to a camera recording for
the purposes of complying with Supreme Court rules or the
rules of evidence.
Section 15. Evidence. The recordings may be used as
evidence in any administrative, judicial, legislative, or
disciplinary proceeding. If a court or other finder of fact
finds by a preponderance of the evidence that a recording was
intentionally not captured, destroyed, altered, or
intermittently captured in violation of this Act, then the
court or other finder of fact shall consider or be instructed
to consider that violation in weighing the evidence, unless
the State or public official provides a reasonable
justification.
Section 105. The Freedom of Information Act is amended by
changing Section 7.5 as follows:
(5 ILCS 140/7.5)
Sec. 7.5. Statutory exemptions. To the extent provided for
by the statutes referenced below, the following shall be
exempt from inspection and copying:
(a) All information determined to be confidential

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under Section 4002 of the Technology Advancement and
Development Act.
(b) Library circulation and order records identifying
library users with specific materials under the Library
Records Confidentiality Act.
(c) Applications, related documents, and medical
records received by the Experimental Organ Transplantation
Procedures Board and any and all documents or other
records prepared by the Experimental Organ Transplantation
Procedures Board or its staff relating to applications it
has received.
(d) Information and records held by the Department of
Public Health and its authorized representatives relating
to known or suspected cases of sexually transmitted
infection or any information the disclosure of which is
restricted under the Illinois Sexually Transmitted
Infection Control Act.
(e) Information the disclosure of which is exempted
under Section 30 of the Radon Industry Licensing Act.
(f) Firm performance evaluations under Section 55 of
the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying
Qualifications Based Selection Act.
(g) Information the disclosure of which is restricted
and exempted under Section 50 of the Illinois Prepaid
Tuition Act.
(h) Information the disclosure of which is exempted

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under the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, and
records of any lawfully created State or local inspector
general's office that would be exempt if created or
obtained by an Executive Inspector General's office under
that Act.
(i) Information contained in a local emergency energy
plan submitted to a municipality in accordance with a
local emergency energy plan ordinance that is adopted
under Section 11-21.5-5 of the Illinois Municipal Code.
(j) Information and data concerning the distribution
of surcharge moneys collected and remitted by carriers
under the Emergency Telephone System Act.
(k) Law enforcement officer identification information
or driver identification information compiled by a law
enforcement agency or the Department of Transportation
under Section 11-212 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.
(l) Records and information provided to a residential
health care facility resident sexual assault and death
review team or the Executive Council under the Abuse
Prevention Review Team Act.
(m) Information provided to the predatory lending
database created pursuant to Article 3 of the Residential
Real Property Disclosure Act, except to the extent
authorized under that Article.
(n) Defense budgets and petitions for certification of
compensation and expenses for court appointed trial

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counsel as provided under Sections 10 and 15 of the
Capital Crimes Litigation Act (repealed). This subsection
(n) shall apply until the conclusion of the trial of the
case, even if the prosecution chooses not to pursue the
death penalty prior to trial or sentencing.
(o) Information that is prohibited from being
disclosed under Section 4 of the Illinois Health and
Hazardous Substances Registry Act.
(p) Security portions of system safety program plans,
investigation reports, surveys, schedules, lists, data, or
information compiled, collected, or prepared by or for the
Department of Transportation under Sections 2705-300 and
2705-616 of the Department of Transportation Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Regional
Transportation Authority under Section 2.11 of the
Regional Transportation Authority Act, or the St. Clair
County Transit District under the Bi-State Transit Safety
Act (repealed).
(q) Information prohibited from being disclosed by the
Personnel Record Review Act.
(r) Information prohibited from being disclosed by the
Illinois School Student Records Act.
(s) Information the disclosure of which is restricted
under Section 5-108 of the Public Utilities Act.
(t) (Blank).
(u) Records and information provided to an independent

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team of experts under the Developmental Disability and
Mental Health Safety Act (also known as Brian's Law).
(v) Names and information of people who have applied
for or received Firearm Owner's Identification Cards under
the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act or applied for
or received a concealed carry license under the Firearm
Concealed Carry Act, unless otherwise authorized by the
Firearm Concealed Carry Act; and databases under the
Firearm Concealed Carry Act, records of the Concealed
Carry Licensing Review Board under the Firearm Concealed
Carry Act, and law enforcement agency objections under the
Firearm Concealed Carry Act.
(v-5) Records of the Firearm Owner's Identification
Card Review Board that are exempted from disclosure under
Section 10 of the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act.
(w) Personally identifiable information which is
exempted from disclosure under subsection (g) of Section
19.1 of the Toll Highway Act.
(x) Information which is exempted from disclosure
under Section 5-1014.3 of the Counties Code or Section
8-11-21 of the Illinois Municipal Code.
(y) Confidential information under the Adult
Protective Services Act and its predecessor enabling
statute, the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act, including
information about the identity and administrative finding
against any caregiver of a verified and substantiated

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decision of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of
an eligible adult maintained in the Registry established
under Section 7.5 of the Adult Protective Services Act.
(z) Records and information provided to a fatality
review team or the Illinois Fatality Review Team Advisory
Council under Section 15 of the Adult Protective Services
Act.
(aa) Information which is exempted from disclosure
under Section 2.37 of the Wildlife Code.
(bb) Information which is or was prohibited from
disclosure by the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
(cc) Recordings made under the Law Enforcement
Officer-Worn Body Camera Act, except to the extent
authorized under that Act.
(dd) Information that is prohibited from being
disclosed under Section 45 of the Condominium and Common
Interest Community Ombudsperson Act.
(ee) Information that is exempted from disclosure
under Section 30.1 of the Pharmacy Practice Act.
(ff) Information that is exempted from disclosure
under the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act.
(gg) Information that is prohibited from being
disclosed under Section 7-603.5 of the Illinois Vehicle
Code.
(hh) Records that are exempt from disclosure under
Section 1A-16.7 of the Election Code.

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(ii) Information which is exempted from disclosure
under Section 2505-800 of the Department of Revenue Law of
the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.
(jj) Information and reports that are required to be
submitted to the Department of Labor by registering day
and temporary labor service agencies but are exempt from
disclosure under subsection (a-1) of Section 45 of the Day
and Temporary Labor Services Act.
(kk) Information prohibited from disclosure under the
Seizure and Forfeiture Reporting Act.
(ll) Information the disclosure of which is restricted
and exempted under Section 5-30.8 of the Illinois Public
Aid Code.
(mm) Records that are exempt from disclosure under
Section 4.2 of the Crime Victims Compensation Act.
(nn) Information that is exempt from disclosure under
Section 70 of the Higher Education Student Assistance Act.
(oo) Communications, notes, records, and reports
arising out of a peer support counseling session
prohibited from disclosure under the First Responders
Suicide Prevention Act.
(pp) Names and all identifying information relating to
an employee of an emergency services provider or law
enforcement agency under the First Responders Suicide
Prevention Act.
(qq) Information and records held by the Department of

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Public Health and its authorized representatives collected
under the Reproductive Health Act.
(rr) Information that is exempt from disclosure under
the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act.
(ss) Data reported by an employer to the Department of
Human Rights pursuant to Section 2-108 of the Illinois
Human Rights Act.
(tt) Recordings made under the Children's Advocacy
Center Act, except to the extent authorized under that
Act.
(uu) Information that is exempt from disclosure under
Section 50 of the Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Act.
(vv) Information that is exempt from disclosure under
subsections (f) and (j) of Section 5-36 of the Illinois
Public Aid Code.
(ww) Information that is exempt from disclosure under
Section 16.8 of the State Treasurer Act.
(xx) Information that is exempt from disclosure or
information that shall not be made public under the
Illinois Insurance Code.
(yy) Information prohibited from being disclosed under
the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act.
(zz) Information prohibited from being disclosed under
the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act.
(aaa) Information prohibited from being disclosed
under Section 1-167 of the Illinois Pension Code.

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(bbb) Information that is prohibited from disclosure
by the Illinois Police Training Act and the Illinois State
Police Act.
(ccc) Records exempt from disclosure under Section
2605-304 of the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil
Administrative Code of Illinois.
(ddd) Information prohibited from being disclosed
under Section 35 of the Address Confidentiality for
Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Human
Trafficking, or Stalking Act.
(eee) Information prohibited from being disclosed
under subsection (b) of Section 75 of the Domestic
Violence Fatality Review Act.
(fff) Images from cameras under the Expressway Camera
Act. This subsection (fff) is inoperative on and after
July 1, 2025.
(ggg) Information prohibited from disclosure under
paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of Section 14 of the Nurse
Agency Licensing Act.
(hhh) Information submitted to the Illinois State
Police in an affidavit or application for an assault
weapon endorsement, assault weapon attachment endorsement,
.50 caliber rifle endorsement, or .50 caliber cartridge
endorsement under the Firearm Owners Identification Card
Act.
(iii) Data exempt from disclosure under Section 50 of

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the School Safety Drill Act.
(jjj) Information exempt from disclosure under Section
30 of the Insurance Data Security Law.
(kkk) Confidential business information prohibited
from disclosure under Section 45 of the Paint Stewardship
Act.
(lll) Data exempt from disclosure under Section
2-3.196 of the School Code.
(mmm) Information prohibited from being disclosed
under subsection (e) of Section 1-129 of the Illinois
Power Agency Act.
(nnn) Materials received by the Department of Commerce
and Economic Opportunity that are confidential under the
Music and Musicians Tax Credit and Jobs Act.
(ooo) (nnn) Data or information provided pursuant to
Section 20 of the Statewide Recycling Needs and Assessment
Act.
(ppp) (nnn) Information that is exempt from disclosure
under Section 28-11 of the Lawful Health Care Activity
Act.
(qqq) (nnn) Information that is exempt from disclosure
under Section 7-101 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.
(rrr) (mmm) Information prohibited from being
disclosed under Section 4-2 of the Uniform Money
Transmission Modernization Act.
(sss) (nnn) Information exempt from disclosure under

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Section 40 of the Student-Athlete Endorsement Rights Act.
(ttt) Recordings or parts of recordings made under the
Public Official Body Camera Act not explicitly requested
by a requester.
(Source: P.A. 102-36, eff. 6-25-21; 102-237, eff. 1-1-22;
102-292, eff. 1-1-22; 102-520, eff. 8-20-21; 102-559, eff.
8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-946, eff. 7-1-22;
102-1042, eff. 6-3-22; 102-1116, eff. 1-10-23; 103-8, eff.
6-7-23; 103-34, eff. 6-9-23; 103-142, eff. 1-1-24; 103-372,
eff. 1-1-24; 103-472, eff. 8-1-24; 103-508, eff. 8-4-23;
103-580, eff. 12-8-23; 103-592, eff. 6-7-24; 103-605, eff.
7-1-24; 103-636, eff. 7-1-24; 103-724, eff. 1-1-25; 103-786,
eff. 8-7-24; 103-859, eff. 8-9-24; 103-991, eff. 8-9-24;
103-1049, eff. 8-9-24; revised 11-26-24.)