94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
SB2276

 

Introduced 1/12/2006, by Sen. Carol Ronen

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
625 ILCS 5/2-123   from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 2-123

    Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code with regard to the sale and distribution of information by the Secretary of State. Provides that the information that may be sold includes information regarding violation, conviction, or driver license revocation, suspension, or cancellation activity that occurred within the most recent monthly period. Provides that, before providing designated summary information regarding that activity, the Secretary must determine that the provision of the requested information will cause the actual purchase of an abstract of a driver's record and that the State will not lose any revenue.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB2276 LRB094 16324 DRH 51574 b

1     AN ACT concerning vehicles.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing
5 Section 2-123 as follows:
 
6     (625 ILCS 5/2-123)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 2-123)
7     Sec. 2-123. Sale and Distribution of Information.
8     (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the
9 Secretary may make the driver's license, vehicle and title
10 registration lists, in part or in whole, and any statistical
11 information derived from these lists available to local
12 governments, elected state officials, state educational
13 institutions, and all other governmental units of the State and
14 Federal Government requesting them for governmental purposes.
15 The Secretary shall require any such applicant for services to
16 pay for the costs of furnishing such services and the use of
17 the equipment involved, and in addition is empowered to
18 establish prices and charges for the services so furnished and
19 for the use of the electronic equipment utilized.
20     (b) The Secretary is further empowered to and he may, in
21 his discretion, furnish to any applicant, other than listed in
22 subsection (a) of this Section, vehicle or driver data on a
23 computer tape, disk, other electronic format or computer
24 processable medium, or printout at a fixed fee of $250 for
25 orders received before October 1, 2003 and $500 for orders
26 received on or after October 1, 2003, in advance, and require
27 in addition a further sufficient deposit based upon the
28 Secretary of State's estimate of the total cost of the
29 information requested and a charge of $25 for orders received
30 before October 1, 2003 and $50 for orders received on or after
31 October 1, 2003, per 1,000 units or part thereof identified or
32 the actual cost, whichever is greater. The Secretary is

 

 

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1 authorized to refund any difference between the additional
2 deposit and the actual cost of the request. This service shall
3 not be in lieu of an abstract of a driver's record nor of a
4 title or registration search. The Secretary must determine,
5 before providing designated summary information indicating
6 violation, conviction, or driver's license revocation,
7 suspension, or cancellation activity that occurred within the
8 most recent monthly period, that the provision of the requested
9 information will cause the actual purchase of an abstract of a
10 driver's record pursuant to subsection (g) and that the State
11 will not lose any revenue. This service may be limited to
12 entities purchasing a minimum number of records as required by
13 administrative rule. The information sold pursuant to this
14 subsection shall be violation, conviction, or driver's license
15 revocation, suspension, or cancellation activity that occurred
16 within the most recent monthly period or the entire vehicle or
17 driver data list, or part thereof. The information sold
18 pursuant to this subsection shall not contain personally
19 identifying information unless the information is to be used
20 for one of the purposes identified in subsection (f-5) of this
21 Section. Commercial purchasers of driver and vehicle record
22 databases shall enter into a written agreement with the
23 Secretary of State that includes disclosure of the commercial
24 use of the information to be purchased.
25     (b-1) The Secretary is further empowered to and may, in his
26 or her discretion, furnish vehicle or driver data on a computer
27 tape, disk, or other electronic format or computer processible
28 medium, at no fee, to any State or local governmental agency
29 that uses the information provided by the Secretary to transmit
30 data back to the Secretary that enables the Secretary to
31 maintain accurate driving records, including dispositions of
32 traffic cases. This information may be provided without fee not
33 more often than once every 6 months.
34     (c) Secretary of State may issue registration lists. The
35 Secretary of State shall compile and publish, at least
36 annually, a list of all registered vehicles. Each list of

 

 

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1 registered vehicles shall be arranged serially according to the
2 registration numbers assigned to registered vehicles and shall
3 contain in addition the names and addresses of registered
4 owners and a brief description of each vehicle including the
5 serial or other identifying number thereof. Such compilation
6 may be in such form as in the discretion of the Secretary of
7 State may seem best for the purposes intended.
8     (d) The Secretary of State shall furnish no more than 2
9 current available lists of such registrations to the sheriffs
10 of all counties and to the chiefs of police of all cities and
11 villages and towns of 2,000 population and over in this State
12 at no cost. Additional copies may be purchased by the sheriffs
13 or chiefs of police at the fee of $500 each or at the cost of
14 producing the list as determined by the Secretary of State.
15 Such lists are to be used for governmental purposes only.
16     (e) (Blank).
17     (e-1) (Blank).
18     (f) The Secretary of State shall make a title or
19 registration search of the records of his office and a written
20 report on the same for any person, upon written application of
21 such person, accompanied by a fee of $5 for each registration
22 or title search. The written application shall set forth the
23 intended use of the requested information. No fee shall be
24 charged for a title or registration search, or for the
25 certification thereof requested by a government agency. The
26 report of the title or registration search shall not contain
27 personally identifying information unless the request for a
28 search was made for one of the purposes identified in
29 subsection (f-5) of this Section. The report of the title or
30 registration search shall not contain highly restricted
31 personal information unless specifically authorized by this
32 Code.
33     The Secretary of State shall certify a title or
34 registration record upon written request. The fee for
35 certification shall be $5 in addition to the fee required for a
36 title or registration search. Certification shall be made under

 

 

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1 the signature of the Secretary of State and shall be
2 authenticated by Seal of the Secretary of State.
3     The Secretary of State may notify the vehicle owner or
4 registrant of the request for purchase of his title or
5 registration information as the Secretary deems appropriate.
6     No information shall be released to the requestor until
7 expiration of a 10 day period. This 10 day period shall not
8 apply to requests for information made by law enforcement
9 officials, government agencies, financial institutions,
10 attorneys, insurers, employers, automobile associated
11 businesses, persons licensed as a private detective or firms
12 licensed as a private detective agency under the Private
13 Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, and Locksmith Act
14 of 2004, who are employed by or are acting on behalf of law
15 enforcement officials, government agencies, financial
16 institutions, attorneys, insurers, employers, automobile
17 associated businesses, and other business entities for
18 purposes consistent with the Illinois Vehicle Code, the vehicle
19 owner or registrant or other entities as the Secretary may
20 exempt by rule and regulation.
21     Any misrepresentation made by a requestor of title or
22 vehicle information shall be punishable as a petty offense,
23 except in the case of persons licensed as a private detective
24 or firms licensed as a private detective agency which shall be
25 subject to disciplinary sanctions under Section 40-10 of the
26 Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, and
27 Locksmith Act of 2004.
28     (f-5) The Secretary of State shall not disclose or
29 otherwise make available to any person or entity any personally
30 identifying information obtained by the Secretary of State in
31 connection with a driver's license, vehicle, or title
32 registration record unless the information is disclosed for one
33 of the following purposes:
34         (1) For use by any government agency, including any
35     court or law enforcement agency, in carrying out its
36     functions, or any private person or entity acting on behalf

 

 

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1     of a federal, State, or local agency in carrying out its
2     functions.
3         (2) For use in connection with matters of motor vehicle
4     or driver safety and theft; motor vehicle emissions; motor
5     vehicle product alterations, recalls, or advisories;
6     performance monitoring of motor vehicles, motor vehicle
7     parts, and dealers; and removal of non-owner records from
8     the original owner records of motor vehicle manufacturers.
9         (3) For use in the normal course of business by a
10     legitimate business or its agents, employees, or
11     contractors, but only:
12             (A) to verify the accuracy of personal information
13         submitted by an individual to the business or its
14         agents, employees, or contractors; and
15             (B) if such information as so submitted is not
16         correct or is no longer correct, to obtain the correct
17         information, but only for the purposes of preventing
18         fraud by, pursuing legal remedies against, or
19         recovering on a debt or security interest against, the
20         individual.
21         (4) For use in research activities and for use in
22     producing statistical reports, if the personally
23     identifying information is not published, redisclosed, or
24     used to contact individuals.
25         (5) For use in connection with any civil, criminal,
26     administrative, or arbitral proceeding in any federal,
27     State, or local court or agency or before any
28     self-regulatory body, including the service of process,
29     investigation in anticipation of litigation, and the
30     execution or enforcement of judgments and orders, or
31     pursuant to an order of a federal, State, or local court.
32         (6) For use by any insurer or insurance support
33     organization or by a self-insured entity or its agents,
34     employees, or contractors in connection with claims
35     investigation activities, antifraud activities, rating, or
36     underwriting.

 

 

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1         (7) For use in providing notice to the owners of towed
2     or impounded vehicles.
3         (8) For use by any person licensed as a private
4     detective or firm licensed as a private detective agency
5     under the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private
6     Security, and Locksmith Act of 1993, private investigative
7     agency or security service licensed in Illinois for any
8     purpose permitted under this subsection.
9         (9) For use by an employer or its agent or insurer to
10     obtain or verify information relating to a holder of a
11     commercial driver's license that is required under chapter
12     313 of title 49 of the United States Code.
13         (10) For use in connection with the operation of
14     private toll transportation facilities.
15         (11) For use by any requester, if the requester
16     demonstrates it has obtained the written consent of the
17     individual to whom the information pertains.
18         (12) For use by members of the news media, as defined
19     in Section 1-148.5, for the purpose of newsgathering when
20     the request relates to the operation of a motor vehicle or
21     public safety.
22         (13) For any other use specifically authorized by law,
23     if that use is related to the operation of a motor vehicle
24     or public safety.
25     (f-6) The Secretary of State shall not disclose or
26 otherwise make available to any person or entity any highly
27 restricted personal information obtained by the Secretary of
28 State in connection with a driver's license, vehicle, or title
29 registration record unless specifically authorized by this
30 Code.
31     (g) 1. The Secretary of State may, upon receipt of a
32     written request and a fee of $6 before October 1, 2003 and
33     a fee of $12 on and after October 1, 2003, furnish to the
34     person or agency so requesting a driver's record. Such
35     document may include a record of: current driver's license
36     issuance information, except that the information on

 

 

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1     judicial driving permits shall be available only as
2     otherwise provided by this Code; convictions; orders
3     entered revoking, suspending or cancelling a driver's
4     license or privilege; and notations of accident
5     involvement. All other information, unless otherwise
6     permitted by this Code, shall remain confidential.
7     Information released pursuant to a request for a driver's
8     record shall not contain personally identifying
9     information, unless the request for the driver's record was
10     made for one of the purposes set forth in subsection (f-5)
11     of this Section.
12         2. The Secretary of State shall not disclose or
13     otherwise make available to any person or entity any highly
14     restricted personal information obtained by the Secretary
15     of State in connection with a driver's license, vehicle, or
16     title registration record unless specifically authorized
17     by this Code. The Secretary of State may certify an
18     abstract of a driver's record upon written request
19     therefor. Such certification shall be made under the
20     signature of the Secretary of State and shall be
21     authenticated by the Seal of his office.
22         3. All requests for driving record information shall be
23     made in a manner prescribed by the Secretary and shall set
24     forth the intended use of the requested information.
25         The Secretary of State may notify the affected driver
26     of the request for purchase of his driver's record as the
27     Secretary deems appropriate.
28         No information shall be released to the requester until
29     expiration of a 10 day period. This 10 day period shall not
30     apply to requests for information made by law enforcement
31     officials, government agencies, financial institutions,
32     attorneys, insurers, employers, automobile associated
33     businesses, persons licensed as a private detective or
34     firms licensed as a private detective agency under the
35     Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, and
36     Locksmith Act of 2004, who are employed by or are acting on

 

 

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1     behalf of law enforcement officials, government agencies,
2     financial institutions, attorneys, insurers, employers,
3     automobile associated businesses, and other business
4     entities for purposes consistent with the Illinois Vehicle
5     Code, the affected driver or other entities as the
6     Secretary may exempt by rule and regulation.
7         Any misrepresentation made by a requestor of driver
8     information shall be punishable as a petty offense, except
9     in the case of persons licensed as a private detective or
10     firms licensed as a private detective agency which shall be
11     subject to disciplinary sanctions under Section 40-10 of
12     the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security,
13     and Locksmith Act of 2004.
14         4. The Secretary of State may furnish without fee, upon
15     the written request of a law enforcement agency, any
16     information from a driver's record on file with the
17     Secretary of State when such information is required in the
18     enforcement of this Code or any other law relating to the
19     operation of motor vehicles, including records of
20     dispositions; documented information involving the use of
21     a motor vehicle; whether such individual has, or previously
22     had, a driver's license; and the address and personal
23     description as reflected on said driver's record.
24         5. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the
25     Secretary of State may furnish, without fee, information
26     from an individual driver's record on file, if a written
27     request therefor is submitted by any public transit system
28     or authority, public defender, law enforcement agency, a
29     state or federal agency, or an Illinois local
30     intergovernmental association, if the request is for the
31     purpose of a background check of applicants for employment
32     with the requesting agency, or for the purpose of an
33     official investigation conducted by the agency, or to
34     determine a current address for the driver so public funds
35     can be recovered or paid to the driver, or for any other
36     purpose set forth in subsection (f-5) of this Section.

 

 

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1         The Secretary may also furnish the courts a copy of an
2     abstract of a driver's record, without fee, subsequent to
3     an arrest for a violation of Section 11-501 or a similar
4     provision of a local ordinance. Such abstract may include
5     records of dispositions; documented information involving
6     the use of a motor vehicle as contained in the current
7     file; whether such individual has, or previously had, a
8     driver's license; and the address and personal description
9     as reflected on said driver's record.
10         6. Any certified abstract issued by the Secretary of
11     State or transmitted electronically by the Secretary of
12     State pursuant to this Section, to a court or on request of
13     a law enforcement agency, for the record of a named person
14     as to the status of the person's driver's license shall be
15     prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated and if the
16     name appearing in such abstract is the same as that of a
17     person named in an information or warrant, such abstract
18     shall be prima facie evidence that the person named in such
19     information or warrant is the same person as the person
20     named in such abstract and shall be admissible for any
21     prosecution under this Code and be admitted as proof of any
22     prior conviction or proof of records, notices, or orders
23     recorded on individual driving records maintained by the
24     Secretary of State.
25         7. Subject to any restrictions contained in the
26     Juvenile Court Act of 1987, and upon receipt of a proper
27     request and a fee of $6 before October 1, 2003 and a fee of
28     $12 on or after October 1, 2003, the Secretary of State
29     shall provide a driver's record to the affected driver, or
30     the affected driver's attorney, upon verification. Such
31     record shall contain all the information referred to in
32     paragraph 1 of this subsection (g) plus: any recorded
33     accident involvement as a driver; information recorded
34     pursuant to subsection (e) of Section 6-117 and paragraph
35     (4) of subsection (a) of Section 6-204 of this Code. All
36     other information, unless otherwise permitted by this

 

 

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1     Code, shall remain confidential.
2     (h) The Secretary shall not disclose social security
3 numbers or any associated information obtained from the Social
4 Security Administration except pursuant to a written request
5 by, or with the prior written consent of, the individual
6 except: (1) to officers and employees of the Secretary who have
7 a need to know the social security numbers in performance of
8 their official duties, (2) to law enforcement officials for a
9 lawful, civil or criminal law enforcement investigation, and if
10 the head of the law enforcement agency has made a written
11 request to the Secretary specifying the law enforcement
12 investigation for which the social security numbers are being
13 sought, (3) to the United States Department of Transportation,
14 or any other State, pursuant to the administration and
15 enforcement of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986,
16 (4) pursuant to the order of a court of competent jurisdiction,
17 or (5) to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services
18 (formerly Department of Public Aid) for utilization in the
19 child support enforcement duties assigned to that Department
20 under provisions of the Illinois Public Aid Code after the
21 individual has received advanced meaningful notification of
22 what redisclosure is sought by the Secretary in accordance with
23 the federal Privacy Act.
24     (i) (Blank).
25     (j) Medical statements or medical reports received in the
26 Secretary of State's Office shall be confidential. No
27 confidential information may be open to public inspection or
28 the contents disclosed to anyone, except officers and employees
29 of the Secretary who have a need to know the information
30 contained in the medical reports and the Driver License Medical
31 Advisory Board, unless so directed by an order of a court of
32 competent jurisdiction.
33     (k) All fees collected under this Section shall be paid
34 into the Road Fund of the State Treasury, except that (i) for
35 fees collected before October 1, 2003, $3 of the $6 fee for a
36 driver's record shall be paid into the Secretary of State

 

 

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1 Special Services Fund, (ii) for fees collected on and after
2 October 1, 2003, of the $12 fee for a driver's record, $3 shall
3 be paid into the Secretary of State Special Services Fund and
4 $6 shall be paid into the General Revenue Fund, and (iii) for
5 fees collected on and after October 1, 2003, 50% of the amounts
6 collected pursuant to subsection (b) shall be paid into the
7 General Revenue Fund.
8     (l) (Blank).
9     (m) Notations of accident involvement that may be disclosed
10 under this Section shall not include notations relating to
11 damage to a vehicle or other property being transported by a
12 tow truck. This information shall remain confidential,
13 provided that nothing in this subsection (m) shall limit
14 disclosure of any notification of accident involvement to any
15 law enforcement agency or official.
16     (n) Requests made by the news media for driver's license,
17 vehicle, or title registration information may be furnished
18 without charge or at a reduced charge, as determined by the
19 Secretary, when the specific purpose for requesting the
20 documents is deemed to be in the public interest. Waiver or
21 reduction of the fee is in the public interest if the principal
22 purpose of the request is to access and disseminate information
23 regarding the health, safety, and welfare or the legal rights
24 of the general public and is not for the principal purpose of
25 gaining a personal or commercial benefit. The information
26 provided pursuant to this subsection shall not contain
27 personally identifying information unless the information is
28 to be used for one of the purposes identified in subsection
29 (f-5) of this Section.
30     (o) The redisclosure of personally identifying information
31 obtained pursuant to this Section is prohibited, except to the
32 extent necessary to effectuate the purpose for which the
33 original disclosure of the information was permitted.
34     (p) The Secretary of State is empowered to adopt rules to
35 effectuate this Section.
36 (Source: P.A. 93-32, eff. 7-1-03; 93-438, eff. 8-5-03; 93-895,

 

 

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1 eff. 1-1-05; 94-56, eff. 6-17-05; revised 12-15-05.)