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SR 118

Relative to Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Roger Niello

Defines “commercial purpose” in FOIA to include any use of public records that furthers the requester’s or their client’s commercial, trade, or profit interests.

From committee: Ordered to third reading.
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Bill Summary · SR 118

Summary of SR 118 (2025-2026) – Relative to Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Note: The bill text provided appears to be a related measure to SB2171 in Illinois (FOIA-COMMERCIAL PURPOSES) and includes procedural history from the Illinois General Assembly. The user request references California and “Prostate Cancer Awareness Month,” but the material provided is specific to Illinois legislation (SB2171) and its amendment to the Freedom of Information Act. Below is a neutral, factual summary based on the supplied content, focusing on the substantive elements that appear in the bill text you provided.

Purpose and Intent

  • The bill proposes an amendment to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
  • The central aim is to clarify and define the term “commercial purpose” within FOIA.
  • Specifically, it seeks to establish that using public records or information derived from public records for any purpose that furthers the commercial, trade, or profit interests of the requester or the entity on whose behalf the request is made constitutes a “commercial purpose.”

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Definition Additions/Clarifications: Defines “commercial purpose” to explicitly include:
    • Any use of public records or information derived from public records.
    • Any use that furthers the commercial, trade, or profit interests of the requester or the person on whose behalf the request is made.
  • Scope of Impact: Applies to the Act’s handling of records requests, potentially affecting exemptions, fees, or redactions when requests are determined to be for a commercial purpose.
  • Statutory Amendment Detailing: This is a targeted amendment to 5 ILCS 140/2 (Freedom of Information Act) to formalize the above interpretation.

Who/What Would Be Affected

  • Public Requesters and Their Agents: Entities or individuals who request public records and whose intended use is for commercial, trade, or profit purposes could trigger different FOIA treatments under the bill.
  • Public Bodies Handling FOIA Requests: Agencies and officials responsible for processing FOIA requests would apply the new definition when determining eligibility for exemptions, fee structures, and potential redactions.
  • Businesses and Trade Interests: Private sector entities that rely on public records for commercial ventures may be impacted in terms of how FOIA requests are evaluated and charged.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • Legislative Path (Illinois):
    • The bill was filed and introduced in February 2025 in the Senate.
    • It progressed through committees and experienced multiple deadlines typical of the Illinois legislative process (Rule 2-10 committee deadlines, 3rd reading deadlines) with several re-references and reassignments.
    • As of the latest actions, the bill has been re-referred to assignments, with committee actions occasionally indicating advancement to the next stage, and in 2026 it shows actions such as “Ordered to third reading.”
    • Final status in the provided record shows re-referment to Assignments and related procedural moves, suggesting it is still undergoing legislative consideration rather than enacted.

Practical Impact if Enacted

  • If enacted, FOIA requests could be more restrictive for those seeking records for commercial purposes, potentially:
    • Establishing clearer costs or exemptions forcommercial-use requests.
    • Limiting or modifying access to certain public records when the requestor’s purpose is commercial.
    • Requiring more stringent justification of “commercial purpose” during requests.
  • Public bodies would need to apply the clarified definition consistently, which could affect processing times, denial rates, and fee schedules.

Important Notes

  • The provided information reflects the bill as it relates to Illinois (not California) and centers on FOIA provisions rather than health policy or prostate cancer awareness specifically.
  • The bill’s title in the user prompt mentions “Relative to Prostate Cancer Awareness Month,” but the text content concerns FOIA’s commercial purpose definition; there is no explicit reference in the material to prostate cancer awareness campaigns or health education. If there is a separate California measure about Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, additional text would be needed to summarize that bill accurately.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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