{
 "topic": "FOIA section 7(2)",
 "statute": "5 ILCS 140/7(2)",
 "family": "FOIA exemptions (section 7)",
 "page": "https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/foia-7-2/",
 "note": "Determination letters are non-binding. Verify against the source PDF before citing.",
 "counts": {
  "violation_found": 3,
  "no_violation": 2,
  "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": [
   {
    "text": "When the record directly relates to the governmental function the contractor performs (e.g., settlement agreements, media rights contracts, operational records like prescription drug orders).",
    "why": "Records held by a private contractor are public records if the contractor performs a governmental function and the record directly relates to that function.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A university's media rights contract with a conference",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-75894/#issue-2"
     },
     {
      "title": "Settlement agreements with a paramedic services contractor",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-56194/#issue-1"
     },
     {
      "title": "Prescription drug order records held by a contractor",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-34503/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "when_the_body_usually_wins": [
   {
    "text": "When the record is merely tangential to the governmental function, like internal compensation and timekeeping records of the contractor.",
    "why": "Internal compensation and timekeeping records are merely tangential and do not directly relate to the governmental function, even if the contractor performs that function.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A private law firm's internal payroll records",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-88226/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "When the public body made a good faith effort to obtain the records from the contractor, but further efforts would be futile.",
    "why": "A public body is not in violation if further efforts to obtain contractor‑held records would be futile.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Lottery prize payment records and ticket submission procedures",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-75666/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "points_to_put_in_the_letter": [
   {
    "text": "Identify the governmental function the contractor performs for the public body, and explain how the requested record directly relates to that function, not just to the contractor’s internal business operations.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A university's media rights contract with a conference",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-75894/#issue-2"
     },
     {
      "title": "Settlement agreements with a paramedic services contractor",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-56194/#issue-1"
     },
     {
      "title": "Prescription drug order records held by a contractor",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-34503/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "If the public body argues the record is too tangential, show that it is more like the operational records in D854.1 (prescription drug orders) or D926.1 (settlement agreement) and less like the internal payroll records in D1145.1.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A private law firm's internal payroll records",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-88226/#issue-1"
     },
     {
      "title": "Prescription drug order records held by a contractor",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-34503/#issue-1"
     },
     {
      "title": "Settlement agreements with a paramedic services contractor",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-56194/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Ask the public body to detail what efforts it made to obtain the records from its contractor. A simple refusal to try may itself violate FOIA.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Lottery prize payment records and ticket submission procedures",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-75666/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "facts_to_gather": [
   "The contract or agreement describing the governmental function the contractor performs.",
   "The specific content of the requested record and how it is used in performing that function.",
   "Any evidence that the record is not just the contractor’s internal administrative document.",
   "Correspondence showing whether the public body attempted to obtain the record from the contractor."
  ],
  "common_mistakes": [
   {
    "text": "Assuming that any record held by a government contractor is automatically a public record without checking if it 'directly relates' to the governmental function.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A private law firm's internal payroll records",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-88226/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Believing that internal records like timekeeping or compensation are public merely because the contractor works for a public body.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A private law firm's internal payroll records",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-88226/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Not challenging the public body's claim that it doesn't possess the records by asking what efforts it made to retrieve them from the contractor.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Lottery prize payment records and ticket submission procedures",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-75666/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "caution": "These non-binding determination letters show that outcomes depend on how closely the record connects to the governmental function; always verify the actual PDF for details."
 },
 "issues": [
  {
   "issue": "Whether private law firm's internal compensation and timekeeping records are public records",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Records in a contractor's possession are public only if they directly relate to the governmental function; internal compensation and timekeeping records are merely tangential.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A private law firm's internal payroll records",
    "date": "2025-09-24",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-88226/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No 13-018",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2013-pac-25736/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Chicago Tribune v. College of DuPage, 2017 IL App (2d) 160274",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2017%20IL%20App%20(2d)%20160274/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 33802",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Rushton v. Department of Corrections, 2019 IL 124552",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2019%20IL%20App%20(4th)%20180206/"
    },
    {
     "text": "City of Champaign v. Madigan, 2013 IL App (4th) 120662",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2013%20IL%20App%20(4th)%20120662/"
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Whether media rights contract is a public record under section 7(2)",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "A record in a contractor's possession is a public record if the contractor performs a governmental function and the record directly relates to that function.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A university's media rights contract with a conference",
    "date": "2025-03-19",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-75894/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Better Government Ass'n v. Illinois High School Ass'n, 2017 IL 121124",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2016%20IL%20App%20(1st)%20151356/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Rushton v. Department of Corrections, 2019 IL 124552",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2019%20IL%20App%20(4th)%20180206/"
    },
    {
     "text": "College of DuPage, 2017 IL App (2d) 160274",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2017%20IL%20App%20(2d)%20160274/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Metropolitan Pier, 2020 IL App (1st) 190697",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 20-006",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2020-pac-62579/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 74112",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Adequacy of Lottery's search for contractor-held records",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "A public body must make a good faith effort to obtain responsive records from a contractor, but is not in violation if further efforts would be futile.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Lottery prize payment records and ticket submission procedures",
    "date": "2023-11-13",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-75666/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 20-006",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2020-pac-62579/"
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Settlement agreement in contractor's possession is public record",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Records held by a private contractor performing a governmental function and directly relating to that function are public records subject to FOIA disclosure.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Settlement agreements with a paramedic services contractor",
    "date": "2021-07-19",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-56194/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Better Government Ass'n v. Illinois High School Ass'n, 2017 IL 121124",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2016%20IL%20App%20(1st)%20151356/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Rushton v. Department of Corrections, 2019 IL 124552",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2019%20IL%20App%20(4th)%20180206/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Chicago Tribune v. College of DuPage, 2017 IL App (2d) 160274",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2017%20IL%20App%20(2d)%20160274/"
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Wexford-held prescription drug order records are IDOC public records",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Records in a contractor's possession that directly relate to a governmental function the contractor performs on the public body's behalf are the public body's records and must be disclosed unless exempt.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Prescription drug order records held by a contractor",
    "date": "2016-01-13",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-34503/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 102, 97 S. Ct. 285, 290 (1976)",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  }
 ]
}