Bill Text: IL HB4162 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that, except as otherwise provided in the Act or any other Illinois statute (rather than except as otherwise provided in the Act), a quorum of members of a public body must be physically present at the location of an open meeting or present by video or audio conference at the open meeting (now, members must be physically present at the meeting). Provides that a member is present by video or audio conference at an open meeting if the member can hear and be heard by all other members of the body who are participating in the meeting. Specifies that, if a member wishes to attend a meeting by video or audio conference, the member must notify the recording secretary or clerk of the public body before the meeting, unless providing that advance notice is impractical for the member. Repeals existing provisions concerning the participation of public body members in open meetings by video conference or other means.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-05 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4162 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB4162-Introduced.html

---

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4162 Introduced , by Rep. Maurice A. West, II SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
5 ILCS 120/2.01 from Ch. 102, par. 42.01
5 ILCS 120/7 rep.
Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that, except as otherwise provided in the Act or any other Illinois statute (rather than except as otherwise provided in the Act), a quorum of members of a public body must be physically present at the location of an open meeting or present by video or audio conference at the open meeting (now, members must be physically present at the meeting). Provides that a member is present by video or audio conference at an open meeting if the member can hear and be heard by all other members of the body who are participating in the meeting. Specifies that, if a member wishes to attend a meeting by video or audio conference, the member must notify the recording secretary or clerk of the public body before the meeting, unless providing that advance notice is impractical for the member. Repeals existing provisions concerning the participation of public body members in open meetings by video conference or other means.
LRB103 33578 RJT 63390 b
A BILL FOR
HB4162 LRB103 33578 RJT 63390 b
AN ACT concerning 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
Section 2.01 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 or any other
Illinois statute, a quorum of members of a public body must be
physically present at the location of an open meeting or
present by video or audio conference at the open meeting. For
the purposes of this Section, a member is present by audio or
video conference at an open meeting if the member can hear and
be heard by all other members of the body who are participating
in the meeting.
If a member wishes to attend an open meeting by video or
audio conference, the member must notify the recording
secretary or clerk of the public body before the meeting,
unless providing that advance notice is impractical for the

HB4162 - 2 - LRB103 33578 RJT 63390 b
member. 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 is held
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

HB4162 - 3 - LRB103 33578 RJT 63390 b
jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than
4,500 square miles, or (iv) a local workforce innovation area
with jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than
4,500 square miles 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
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.)