{
 "topic": "FOIA section 2(h)",
 "statute": "5 ILCS 140/2(h)",
 "family": "Definitions (public body, public record, requesters)",
 "page": "https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/foia-2-h/",
 "note": "Determination letters are non-binding. Verify against the source PDF before citing.",
 "counts": {
  "violation_found": 0,
  "no_violation": 5,
  "no_determination": 0,
  "other": 0
 },
 "challenge_notes": {
  "generated_by": "AI summary of the decisions listed on this page; not legal advice; verify each decision against its PDF",
  "when_a_challenge_is_strong": [],
  "when_the_body_usually_wins": [
   {
    "text": "The public body combined multiple requests by the same requester within 20 business days and determined the total categories exceeded five.",
    "why": "The Bureau upheld this practice as proper.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Emails between a school board president and superintendent",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-81283/#issue-2"
     },
     {
      "title": "Demolition contract details and account payable transactions from business district tax funds",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-52595/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The request, as submitted or amended, sought at least six different categories of records.",
    "why": "The request qualifies as voluminous under the five-category threshold.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Records of school busing errors and transportation incidents",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-82943/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The request would require compiling more than 500 letter or legal-sized pages.",
    "why": "That meets the statutory definition of a voluminous request.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Office of Professional Review reports and security camera footage of grievances",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-40373/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The public body's determination that the request met the statutory criteria (categories or pages) was reasonable and specific.",
    "why": "The Bureau defers to the body's factual showing when it articulates the criteria.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Aggregation of multiple FOIA requests as voluminous",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-85334/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "points_to_put_in_the_letter": [
   {
    "text": "Ask the public body to itemize the categories it counted. State why, in your view, certain items should not be considered separate categories.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Records of school busing errors and transportation incidents",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-82943/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "If the body relies on a page-count over 500, request the estimated number of pages and how that estimate was reached, so you can challenge any miscalculation.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Office of Professional Review reports and security camera footage of grievances",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-40373/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "facts_to_gather": [
   "Dates and subject lines of all your requests submitted within the relevant 20-business-day period",
   "The public body's breakdown of how many categories it says your request(s) contained",
   "Any written estimate of page counts the body provided, and the method used to derive it"
  ],
  "common_mistakes": [
   {
    "text": "Assuming that multiple separate requests cannot be combined for the purpose of the five-category threshold.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Emails between a school board president and superintendent",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-81283/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Thinking a request that covers a single broad subject automatically constitutes only one category of records.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Records of school busing errors and transportation incidents",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-82943/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "caution": "These determination letters are non-binding; facts matter and the Bureau's analysis can depend on the specific details of each request; always verify the full PDF of any decision you intend to rely on."
 },
 "issues": [
  {
   "issue": "Voluminous request determination",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "A public body properly determines a request is voluminous when it meets the statutory criteria for number of categories or pages.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Aggregation of multiple FOIA requests as voluminous",
    "date": "2025-03-03",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-85334/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Designation of amended request as voluminous",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "A request qualifies as voluminous if it seeks more than 5 different categories of records; the amended request sought at least six categories.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Records of school busing errors and transportation incidents",
    "date": "2024-10-23",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-82943/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Voluminous request designation",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Requests by the same person can be combined to determine if they exceed five categories of records within 20 business days.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Emails between a school board president and superintendent",
    "date": "2025-09-19",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-81283/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Village's designation of FOIA requests as voluminous",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Five requests sought more than five categories of records within 20 business days, so the voluminous designation was proper.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Demolition contract details and account payable transactions from business district tax funds",
    "date": "2018-04-24",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-52595/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Southern Illinoisan v. Illinois Department of Public Health, 218 Ill. 2d 390, 415, 844 N. E. 2d 1, 14 (2006)",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Nelson v. Kendall County, 2014 IL 116303, ¶ 23, 10 N.E. 3d 893, 988 (2014)",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2013%20IL%20App%20(2d)%20120635/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Lacey v. Village of Palatine, 232 111. 2d 349, 363, 904 N. E. 2d 18, 26 (2009)",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Whether request was properly treated as voluminous",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "A request requiring compilation of more than 500 letter or legal-sized pages of public records qualifies as a voluminous request.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Office of Professional Review reports and security camera footage of grievances",
    "date": "2016-07-12",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-40373/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  }
 ]
}