HB0344 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 04255 SMS 14273 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB0344

Introduced 1/29/2021, by Rep. Joe Sosnowski

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

5 ILCS 140/7	from Ch. 116, par. 207
230 ILCS 10/5.3

Amends the Illinois Gambling Act. Instead of prohibiting an employee of the corporate authority of a host community from having financial interests in a riverboat or casino, receive certain things of value from a riverboat or casino, or accept employment from a casino or riverboat, requires the employee to make a public disclosure to the Illinois Gaming Board. Makes conforming changes in the Freedom of Information Act. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning gaming.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Freedom of Information Act is amended by changing Section 7 as follows:

(5 ILCS 140/7) (from Ch. 116, par. 207)

Sec. 7. Exemptions.

(1) When a request is made to inspect or copy a public record that contains information that is exempt from disclosure under this Section, but also contains information that is not exempt from disclosure, the public body may elect to redact the information that is exempt. The public body shall make the remaining information available for inspection and copying. Subject to this requirement, the following shall be exempt from inspection and copying:

(a) Information specifically prohibited from disclosure by federal or State law or rules and regulations implementing federal or State law.

(b) Private information, unless disclosure is required by another provision of this Act, a State or federal law or a court order.

(b-5) Files, documents, and other data or databases maintained by one or more law enforcement agencies and specifically designed to provide information to one or more law enforcement agencies regarding the physical or mental status of one or more individual subjects.

(c) Personal information contained within public records, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, unless the disclosure is consented to in writing by the individual subjects of the information. "Unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" means the disclosure of information that is highly personal or objectionable to a reasonable person and in which the subject's right to privacy outweighs any legitimate public interest in obtaining the information. The disclosure of information that bears on the public duties of public employees and officials shall not be considered an invasion of personal privacy.

(d) Records in the possession of any public body created in the course of administrative enforcement proceedings, and any law enforcement or correctional agency for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that disclosure would:

(i) interfere with pending or actually and reasonably contemplated law enforcement proceedings conducted by any law enforcement or correctional agency that is the recipient of the request;

(ii) interfere with active administrative enforcement proceedings conducted by the public body that is the recipient of the request;

(iii) create a substantial likelihood that a person will be deprived of a fair trial or an impartial hearing;

(iv) unavoidably disclose the identity of a confidential source, confidential information furnished only by the confidential source, or persons who file complaints with or provide information to administrative, investigative, law enforcement, or penal agencies; except that the identities of witnesses to traffic accidents, traffic accident reports, and rescue reports shall be provided by agencies of local government, except when disclosure would interfere with an active criminal investigation conducted by the agency that is the recipient of the request;

(v) disclose unique or specialized investigative techniques other than those generally used and known or disclose internal documents of correctional agencies related to detection, observation or investigation of incidents of crime or misconduct, and disclosure would result in demonstrable harm to the agency or public body that is the recipient of the request;

(vi) endanger the life or physical safety of law enforcement personnel or any other person; or

(vii) obstruct an ongoing criminal investigation by the agency that is the recipient of the request.

(d-5) A law enforcement record created for law enforcement purposes and contained in a shared electronic record management system if the law enforcement agency that is the recipient of the request did not create the record, did not participate in or have a role in any of the events which are the subject of the record, and only has access to the record through the shared electronic record management system.

(e) Records that relate to or affect the security of correctional institutions and detention facilities.

(e-5) Records requested by persons committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail if those materials are available in the library of the correctional institution or facility or jail where the inmate is confined.

(e-6) Records requested by persons committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail if those materials include records from staff members' personnel files, staff rosters, or other staffing assignment information.

(e-7) Records requested by persons committed to the Department of Corrections or Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health if those materials are available through an administrative request to the Department of Corrections or Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health.

(e-8) Records requested by a person committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail, the disclosure of which would result in the risk of harm to any person or the risk of an escape from a jail or correctional institution or facility.

(e-9) Records requested by a person in a county jail or committed to the Department of Corrections or Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, containing personal information pertaining to the person's victim or the victim's family, including, but not limited to, a victim's home address, home telephone number, work or school address, work telephone number, social security number, or any other identifying information, except as may be relevant to a requester's current or potential case or claim.

(e-10) Law enforcement records of other persons requested by a person committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail, including, but not limited to, arrest and booking records, mug shots, and crime scene photographs, except as these records may be relevant to the requester's current or potential case or claim.

(f) Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations, memoranda and other records in which opinions are expressed, or policies or actions are formulated, except that a specific record or relevant portion of a record shall not be exempt when the record is publicly cited and identified by the head of the public body. The exemption provided in this paragraph (f) extends to all those records of officers and agencies of the General Assembly that pertain to the preparation of legislative documents.

(g) Trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person or business where the trade secrets or commercial or financial information are furnished under a claim that they are proprietary, privileged, or confidential, and that disclosure of the trade secrets or commercial or financial information would cause competitive harm to the person or business, and only insofar as the claim directly applies to the records requested.

The information included under this exemption includes all trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained by a public body, including a public pension fund, from a private equity fund or a privately held company within the investment portfolio of a private equity fund as a result of either investing or evaluating a potential investment of public funds in a private equity fund. The exemption contained in this item does not apply to the aggregate financial performance information of a private equity fund, nor to the identity of the fund's managers or general partners. The exemption contained in this item does not apply to the identity of a privately held company within the investment portfolio of a private equity fund, unless the disclosure of the identity of a privately held company may cause competitive harm.

Nothing contained in this paragraph (g) shall be construed to prevent a person or business from consenting to disclosure.

(h) Proposals and bids for any contract, grant, or agreement, including information which if it were disclosed would frustrate procurement or give an advantage to any person proposing to enter into a contractor agreement with the body, until an award or final selection is made. Information prepared by or for the body in preparation of a bid solicitation shall be exempt until an award or final selection is made.

(i) Valuable formulae, computer geographic systems, designs, drawings and research data obtained or produced by any public body when disclosure could reasonably be expected to produce private gain or public loss. The exemption for "computer geographic systems" provided in this paragraph (i) does not extend to requests made by news media as defined in Section 2 of this Act when the requested information is not otherwise exempt and the only purpose of the request is to access and disseminate information regarding the health, safety, welfare, or legal rights of the general public.

(j) The following information pertaining to educational matters:

(i) test questions, scoring keys and other examination data used to administer an academic examination;

(ii) information received by a primary or secondary school, college, or university under its procedures for the evaluation of faculty members by their academic peers;

(iii) information concerning a school or university's adjudication of student disciplinary cases, but only to the extent that disclosure would unavoidably reveal the identity of the student; and

(iv) course materials or research materials used by faculty members.

(k) Architects' plans, engineers' technical submissions, and other construction related technical documents for projects not constructed or developed in whole or in part with public funds and the same for projects constructed or developed with public funds, including, but not limited to, power generating and distribution stations and other transmission and distribution facilities, water treatment facilities, airport facilities, sport stadiums, convention centers, and all government owned, operated, or occupied buildings, but only to the extent that disclosure would compromise security.

(l) Minutes of meetings of public bodies closed to the public as provided in the Open Meetings Act until the public body makes the minutes available to the public under Section 2.06 of the Open Meetings Act.

(m) Communications between a public body and an attorney or auditor representing the public body that would not be subject to discovery in litigation, and materials prepared or compiled by or for a public body in anticipation of a criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding upon the request of an attorney advising the public body, and materials prepared or compiled with respect to internal audits of public bodies.

(n) Records relating to a public body's adjudication of employee grievances or disciplinary cases; however, this exemption shall not extend to the final outcome of cases in which discipline is imposed.

(o) Administrative or technical information associated with automated data processing operations, including, but not limited to, software, operating protocols, computer program abstracts, file layouts, source listings, object modules, load modules, user guides, documentation pertaining to all logical and physical design of computerized systems, employee manuals, and any other information that, if disclosed, would jeopardize the security of the system or its data or the security of materials exempt under this Section.

(p) Records relating to collective negotiating matters between public bodies and their employees or representatives, except that any final contract or agreement shall be subject to inspection and copying.

(q) Test questions, scoring keys, and other examination data used to determine the qualifications of an applicant for a license or employment.

(r) The records, documents, and information relating to real estate purchase negotiations until those negotiations have been completed or otherwise terminated. With regard to a parcel involved in a pending or actually and reasonably contemplated eminent domain proceeding under the Eminent Domain Act, records, documents, and information relating to that parcel shall be exempt except as may be allowed under discovery rules adopted by the Illinois Supreme Court. The records, documents, and information relating to a real estate sale shall be exempt until a sale is consummated.

(s) Any and all proprietary information and records related to the operation of an intergovernmental risk management association or self-insurance pool or jointly self-administered health and accident cooperative or pool. Insurance or self insurance (including any intergovernmental risk management association or self insurance pool) claims, loss or risk management information, records, data, advice or communications.

(t) Information contained in or related to examination, operating, or condition reports prepared by, on behalf of, or for the use of a public body responsible for the regulation or supervision of financial institutions, insurance companies, or pharmacy benefit managers, unless disclosure is otherwise required by State law.

(u) Information that would disclose or might lead to the disclosure of secret or confidential information, codes, algorithms, programs, or private keys intended to be used to create electronic or digital signatures under the Electronic Commerce Security Act.

(v) Vulnerability assessments, security measures, and response policies or plans that are designed to identify, prevent, or respond to potential attacks upon a community's population or systems, facilities, or installations, the destruction or contamination of which would constitute a clear and present danger to the health or safety of the community, but only to the extent that disclosure could reasonably be expected to jeopardize the effectiveness of the measures or the safety of the personnel who implement them or the public. Information exempt under this item may include such things as details pertaining to the mobilization or deployment of personnel or equipment, to the operation of communication systems or protocols, or to tactical operations.

(w) (Blank).

(x) Maps and other records regarding the location or security of generation, transmission, distribution, storage, gathering, treatment, or switching facilities owned by a utility, by a power generator, or by the Illinois Power Agency.

(y) Information contained in or related to proposals, bids, or negotiations related to electric power procurement under Section 1-75 of the Illinois Power Agency Act and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act that is determined to be confidential and proprietary by the Illinois Power Agency or by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

(z) Information about students exempted from disclosure under Sections 10-20.38 or 34-18.29 of the School Code, and information about undergraduate students enrolled at an institution of higher education exempted from disclosure under Section 25 of the Illinois Credit Card Marketing Act of 2009.

(aa) Information the disclosure of which is exempted under the Viatical Settlements Act of 2009.

(bb) Records and information provided to a mortality review team and records maintained by a mortality review team appointed under the Department of Juvenile Justice Mortality Review Team Act.

(cc) Information regarding interments, entombments, or inurnments of human remains that are submitted to the Cemetery Oversight Database under the Cemetery Care Act or the Cemetery Oversight Act, whichever is applicable.

(dd) Correspondence and records (i) that may not be disclosed under Section 11-9 of the Illinois Public Aid Code or (ii) that pertain to appeals under Section 11-8 of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

(ee) The names, addresses, or other personal information of persons who are minors and are also participants and registrants in programs of park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation districts, recreation agencies, and special recreation associations.

(ff) The names, addresses, or other personal information of participants and registrants in programs of park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation districts, recreation agencies, and special recreation associations where such programs are targeted primarily to minors.

(gg) Confidential information described in Section 1-100 of the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal Act of 2012.

(hh) The report submitted to the State Board of Education by the School Security and Standards Task Force under item (8) of subsection (d) of Section 2-3.160 of the School Code and any information contained in that report.

(ii) Records requested by persons committed to or detained by the Department of Human Services under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act or committed to the Department of Corrections under the Sexually Dangerous Persons Act if those materials: (i) are available in the library of the facility where the individual is confined; (ii) include records from staff members' personnel files, staff rosters, or other staffing assignment information; or (iii) are available through an administrative request to the Department of Human Services or the Department of Corrections.

(jj) Confidential information described in Section 5-535 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(kk) The public body's credit card numbers, debit card numbers, bank account numbers, Federal Employer Identification Number, security code numbers, passwords, and similar account information, the disclosure of which could result in identity theft or impression or defrauding of a governmental entity or a person.

(ll) (kk) Records concerning the work of the threat assessment team of a school district.

(mm) The public disclosures to the Illinois Gaming Board required under subsection (j-1) of Section 5.3 of the Illinois Gambling Act.

(1.5) Any information exempt from disclosure under the Judicial Privacy Act shall be redacted from public records prior to disclosure under this Act.

(2) A public record that is not in the possession of a public body but is in the possession of a party with whom the agency has contracted to perform a governmental function on behalf of the public body, and that directly relates to the governmental function and is not otherwise exempt under this Act, shall be considered a public record of the public body, for purposes of this Act.

(3) This Section does not authorize withholding of information or limit the availability of records to the public, except as stated in this Section or otherwise provided in this Act.

(Source: P.A. 100-26, eff. 8-4-17; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17; 100-732, eff. 8-3-18; 101-434, eff. 1-1-20; 101-452, eff. 1-1-20; 101-455, eff. 8-23-19; revised 9-27-19.)

Section 10. The Illinois Gambling Act is amended by changing Section 5.3 as follows:

(230 ILCS 10/5.3)

Sec. 5.3. Ethical conduct.

(a) Officials and employees of the corporate authority of a host community must carry out their duties and responsibilities in such a manner as to promote and preserve public trust and confidence in the integrity and conduct of gaming.

(b) Officials and employees of the corporate authority of a host community shall not use or attempt to use his or her official position to secure or attempt to secure any privilege, advantage, favor, or influence for himself or herself or others.

(c) Officials and employees of the corporate authority of a host community may not have a financial interest, directly or indirectly, in his or her own name or in the name of any other person, partnership, association, trust, corporation, or other entity in any contract or subcontract for the performance of any work for a riverboat or casino that is located in the host community. This prohibition shall extend to the holding or acquisition of an interest in any entity identified by Board action that, in the Board's judgment, could represent the potential for or the appearance of a financial interest. The holding or acquisition of an interest in such entities through an indirect means, such as through a mutual fund, shall not be prohibited, except that the Board may identify specific investments or funds that, in its judgment, are so influenced by gaming holdings as to represent the potential for or the appearance of a conflict of interest.

(d) Officials and employees of the corporate authority of a host community may not accept any gift, gratuity, service, compensation, travel, lodging, or thing of value, with the exception of unsolicited items of an incidental nature, from any person, corporation, or entity doing business with the riverboat or casino that is located in the host community.

(e) Officials and employees of the corporate authority of a host community shall not, during the period that the person is an official or employee of the corporate authority or for a period of 2 years immediately after leaving such office, knowingly accept employment or receive compensation or fees for services from a person or entity, or its parent or affiliate, that has engaged in business with the riverboat or casino that is located in the host community that resulted in contracts with an aggregate value of at least $25,000 or if that official or employee has made a decision that directly applied to the person or entity, or its parent or affiliate.

(f) A spouse, child, or parent of an official or employee of the corporate authority of a host community may not have a financial interest, directly or indirectly, in his or her own name or in the name of any other person, partnership, association, trust, corporation, or other entity in any contract or subcontract for the performance of any work for a riverboat or casino in the host community. This prohibition shall extend to the holding or acquisition of an interest in any entity identified by Board action that, in the judgment of the Board, could represent the potential for or the appearance of a conflict of interest. The holding or acquisition of an interest in such entities through an indirect means, such as through a mutual fund, shall not be prohibited, expect that the Board may identify specific investments or funds that, in its judgment, are so influenced by gaming holdings as to represent the potential for or the appearance of a conflict of interest.

(g) A spouse, child, or parent of an official or employee of the corporate authority of a host community may not accept any gift, gratuity, service, compensation, travel, lodging, or thing of value, with the exception of unsolicited items of an incidental nature, from any person, corporation, or entity doing business with the riverboat or casino that is located in the host community.

(h) A spouse, child, or parent of an official or employee of the corporate authority of a host community may not, during the period that the person is an official of the corporate authority or for a period of 2 years immediately after leaving such office or employment, knowingly accept employment or receive compensation or fees for services from a person or entity, or its parent or affiliate, that has engaged in business with the riverboat or casino that is located in the host community that resulted in contracts with an aggregate value of at least $25,000 or if that official or employee has made a decision that directly applied to the person or entity, or its parent or affiliate.

(i) Officials and employees of the corporate authority of a host community shall not attempt, in any way, to influence any person or entity doing business with the riverboat or casino that is located in the host community or any officer, agent, or employee thereof to hire or contract with any person or entity for any compensated work.

(j) Any communication between an official of the corporate authority of a host community and any applicant for an owners license in the host community, or an officer, director, or employee of a riverboat or casino in the host community, concerning any matter relating in any way to gaming shall be disclosed to the Board. Such disclosure shall be in writing by the official within 30 days after the communication and shall be filed with the Board. Disclosure must consist of the date of the communication, the identity and job title of the person with whom the communication was made, a brief summary of the communication, the action requested or recommended, all responses made, the identity and job title of the person making the response, and any other pertinent information. Public disclosure of the written summary provided to the Board and the Gaming Board shall be subject to the exemptions provided under the Freedom of Information Act.

This subsection (j) shall not apply to communications regarding traffic, law enforcement, security, environmental issues, city services, transportation, or other routine matters concerning the ordinary operations of the riverboat or casino. For purposes of this subsection (j), "ordinary operations" means operations relating to the casino or riverboat facility other than the conduct of gambling activities, and "routine matters" includes the application for, issuance of, renewal of, and other processes associated with municipal permits and licenses.

(j-1) Any employee of the corporate authority of a host community who has, within the previous calendar year, committed conduct of the types enumerated in subsections (c) and (d) must by January 31 of the following calendar year file a description of this conduct with the Board. Public disclosure of the description provided to the Board shall be subject to the exemptions provided under the Freedom of Information Act.

Any former employee of the corporate authority of a host community who has, within the previous calendar year, committed conduct of the types enumerated in subsection (e) must by January 31 of the following calendar year file a description of this conduct with the Board. Public disclosure of the description provided to the Board shall be subject to the exemptions provided under the Freedom of Information Act.

Any spouse, child, or parent of an employee of the corporate authority of a host community who has, within the previous calendar year, committed conduct of the types enumerated in subsections (f), (g), and (h) must by January 31 of the following calendar year file a description of this conduct with the Board. Public disclosure of the description provided to the Board shall be subject to the exemptions provided under the Freedom of Information Act.

(k) Any official or employee who violates any provision of this Section is guilty of a Class 4 felony.

(l) For purposes of this Section: , "host community"

"Employee of the corporate authority of a host community" means an employee of the corporate authority of a host community who is not an official of the corporate authority of a host community.

"Host community" or "host municipality" means a unit of local government that contains a riverboat or casino within its borders.

"Official of the corporate authority of a host community" means a person who is: (1) an elected official of the corporate authority of a host community or (2) a department head or executive official of a host community.

(Source: P.A. 101-31, eff. 6-28-19.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.