FOIA and OMA Training Portal

The Attorney General's Office has made several security enhancements to our training portal site. If you are required by statute to complete the OMA or FOIA training, you must first register to the new portal, even if you have previously completed OMA and FOIA training on the Attorney General's Office's website. Please note that a password that you used prior to April 2021 will no longer work without a new registration.

Once registered, you will need to click the "Login to the Portal" button on the top right of this page. A multifactor authentication is included in the login process to protect this site and your information.

Once you have successfully logged in to the website, please locate the "Training/Registration Portal" menu on the left side of the screen. That menu is available only if you are logged in. You will find the OMA and FOIA trainings as the first choice under that menu.

How to Register on the FOIA/PAC Portal Site

On the pages of this website, you will find detailed information to help the public and government officials and employees to understand and comply with FOIA and OMA. We encourage you to check this site routinely as new materials are made available.

The Attorney General believes that an open, honest and accountable government, the cornerstone of a democracy, can be achieved only through the free and open exchange of information between government and the public. In Illinois, our most important transparency laws — the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Open Meetings Act (OMA) - endeavor to open the workings of government to the public, shed light on government actions and, in the process, strengthen our democracy.

The Public Access Counselor made available guidance to public bodies on OMA and the remote attendance of members at meetings after the expiration of the gubernatorial COVID-19 disaster proclamation.

FOIA

Pursuant to the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of government, it is declared to be the public policy of the State of Illinois that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts and policies of those who represent them as public officials and public employees consistent with the terms of this Act. Such access is necessary to enable the people to fulfill their duties of discussing public issues fully and freely, making informed political judgments and monitoring government to ensure that it is being conducted in the public interest.

- Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1.

OMA

It is the public policy of this State that public bodies exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business and that the people have a right to be informed as to the conduct of their business.

- Illinois Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120/1.

Public Access Counselor (PAC)

Who is the Public Access Counselor?

The Public Access Counselor (PAC) is a part of the Office of the Attorney General. Working under the direction and supervision of the Attorney General and with a team of attorneys and professional staff, the Public Access Counselor's mission is to help people obtain public documents and access public meetings.

The contact information for the Public Access Counselor is:

Leah Bartelt, Public Access Counselor
Office of the Attorney General
500 S. 2nd Street
Springfield, Illinois 62701
Phone:
1-877-299-FOIA
(1-877-299-3642)
Fax: (217) 782-1396
E-mail: public.access@ilag.gov

What does the Public Access Counselor do?

Under the Illinois law, the Public Access Counselor has several responsibilities, including:

Educational Materials

To provide educational materials to the public and to respond to informal inquiries.

Advisory Opinions

To issue advisory opinions on FOIA and OMA in response to requests by public bodies.

Mediate Disputes

To work to resolve or mediate disputes between members of the public and public bodies concerning FOIA requests and compliance with OMA.

Requests for Review

To investigate and issue opinions in response to Requests for Review submitted by members of the public when a FOIA request has been denied by a public body or when it is alleged that a public body has violated OMA.

Binding Opinions

To issue binding opinions on FOIA and OMA in response to Requests for Review submitted by members of the public.

Electronic Training

To provide electronic training to all FOIA Officers and all persons designated by public bodies to receive OMA training.