FOIA section 2.5

FOIA

5 ILCS 140/2.5. Section 2.5 overview: Records showing how a public body received, obligated, or spent public money are public records, full stop.

4 issues across 4 determination letters:2 violation found · 2 no violation.

Counts are per issue, not per letter, and come from automated extraction checked against sampled letters. Determination letters are not binding precedent.

Drafting brief for an AI assistant

Copy this into your assistant to help draft a request, appeal, or challenge to a denial that turns on this issue. It carries the rules and decisions, not your facts: add those yourself. Machine-readable version: foia-2-5.json.

TOPIC: 5 ILCS 140/2.5
SOURCE: Illinois Attorney General Public Access Bureau decisions compiled at https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/foia-2-5/
NOTE: Determination letters are not binding precedent; they show how the Bureau applies the law. Verify every decision against the source PDF before citing it.

VIOLATION FOUND (2):
- Section 2.5 public funds disclosure requirement
  Rule: Cost reports relate to the receipt and use of public funds and are subject to disclosure under section 2.5 of FOIA.
  Decision: Quarterly cost reports for Medicaid managed care organizations (non-binding determination letter, December 19, 2019) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-56759/
- Records relating to use of public funds are public records
  Rule: All records relating to the obligation, receipt, and use of public funds of the State are public records subject to inspection and copying.
  Decision: Prescription drug order records held by a contractor (non-binding determination letter, January 13, 2016) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-34503/

NO VIOLATION (2):
- Whether public interest and section 2.5 require disclosure
  Rule: The public interest in disclosure and section 2.5 are irrelevant because the records are not 'public records' as defined by FOIA.
  Decision: A county technology department's emails about a contract (non-binding determination letter, December 19, 2023) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-79328/
- Whether section 2.5 applies to requested condolence records
  Rule: Section 2.5 does not apply because condolence records do not directly document or reflect the use of public funds, unlike invoices or budgets.
  Decision: College records of employee bereavement acknowledgments (non-binding determination letter, August 8, 2025) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-88239/



TASK FOR THE ASSISTANT: Using only the decisions above, help draft a letter. Argue from the rule and cite the decision by name and date. Do not invent decisions.

Violation found (2)

Section 2.5 public funds disclosure requirement
Rule: Cost reports relate to the receipt and use of public funds and are subject to disclosure under section 2.5 of FOIA.
Violation found Quarterly cost reports for Medicaid managed care organizations · December 19, 2019
Records relating to use of public funds are public records
Rule: All records relating to the obligation, receipt, and use of public funds of the State are public records subject to inspection and copying.
Violation found Prescription drug order records held by a contractor · January 13, 2016

No violation (2)

Whether public interest and section 2.5 require disclosure
Rule: The public interest in disclosure and section 2.5 are irrelevant because the records are not 'public records' as defined by FOIA.
No violation A county technology department's emails about a contract · December 19, 2023
Whether section 2.5 applies to requested condolence records
Rule: Section 2.5 does not apply because condolence records do not directly document or reflect the use of public funds, unlike invoices or budgets.
No violation College records of employee bereavement acknowledgments · August 8, 2025