August 25, 2009 - 8:16am

On Monday, August 17, 2009, Governor Pat Quinn signed an amended version of Senate Bill 189 into law. Senate Bill 189 is now Public Act 096-0542 and will take effect January 1, 2010. The legislation amends various acts concerning governmental transparency including the Illinois Open Meetings Act, Freedom of Information Act, and Attorney General Act. The reforms will make it easier for citizens to obtain public documents from local governments.

The following chart compares important additions and changes to these acts with current legislation.