Topic:
FOIA and "recurrent requesters"
(Currie, D-Chicago; Harmon, D-Oak Park) creates separate FOIA guidelines for "recurrent requestors" to be answered within a reasonable period considering the size and complexity of the request. A "recurrent requestors" is a person who in the 12 months immediately preceding a request has submitted to the same public body any of the following: (1) a minimum of 50 requests for records, (2) a minimum of 15 requests for records within a 30-day period, or (3)seven requests within a seven-day period. News media and non-profit, scientific or academic organizations are exempt if the principal purpose of the request is academic, scientific, or public research or education. A requestor for commercial purposes may not appeal to the public access counselor except for the limited purpose of reviewing whether the public body properly determined that the request was made for a commercial purpose. Effective August 26, 2011.