{
 "topic": "OMA section 2.03",
 "statute": "5 ILCS 120/2.03",
 "family": "Notice, agendas, and meeting access",
 "page": "https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/oma-2-03/",
 "note": "Determination letters are non-binding. Verify against the source PDF before citing.",
 "counts": {
  "violation_found": 1,
  "no_violation": 4,
  "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": "The public body changed its regular meeting dates going forward and did not publish notice of the change at least 10 days in advance in a newspaper of general circulation.",
    "why": "D1206.2 found a violation because a public body must publish notice of a change in regular meeting dates at least 10 days in advance in a newspaper of general circulation.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Failure to provide notice of amended meeting schedule",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-48602/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "when_the_body_usually_wins": [
   {
    "text": "The public body does not hold regularly scheduled meetings and the requester claims it should have prepared an annual schedule of regular meetings.",
    "why": "D1274.2 says a public body that does not hold regularly scheduled meetings is not required to prepare an annual schedule of regular meetings.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A council's meeting notices and member OMA training",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54184/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The requested notice concerns a single special meeting scheduled or rescheduled, not a change in the body's regular meeting dates going forward.",
    "why": "D1274.3 says the ten-day notice requirement applies only when a public body changes its regular meeting dates going forward, not when a single special meeting is scheduled or rescheduled.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A council's meeting notices and member OMA training",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54184/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The requester seeks a regular-meeting schedule for a committee or body that does not meet regularly.",
    "why": "D1189.3 says Section 2.03 applies only to regular meetings, not committees that do not meet regularly.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A village's committee meeting schedule",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-46079/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The requester complains that a regular meeting itself was not published in a newspaper.",
    "why": "D1197.3 says OMA only requires newspaper publication for changes in the schedule of regular meetings, not for regular meetings themselves.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Notice and agenda posting for a cemetery board meeting",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-47489/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "points_to_put_in_the_letter": [
   {
    "text": "If the body holds regular meetings, ask for the schedule of all regular meetings listing times and places; Section 2.03 requires it for regular meetings.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A village's committee meeting schedule",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-46079/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "If the regular meeting dates were changed, identify the changed dates and say the body was required to publish notice of that change at least 10 days in advance in a newspaper of general circulation.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Failure to provide notice of amended meeting schedule",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-48602/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "If the body says no ten-day notice was required, confirm whether the meeting was a single special meeting or a change to regular meeting dates going forward; only the latter is covered by the ten-day notice rule.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A council's meeting notices and member OMA training",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54184/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "If the dispute is about newspaper publication, make clear you are challenging a changed schedule of regular meetings, not the fact that a regular meeting was not published.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Notice and agenda posting for a cemetery board meeting",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-47489/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "facts_to_gather": [
   "Whether the public body holds regularly scheduled meetings or only calls special or irregular meetings.",
   "Whether the body prepared and made available a schedule listing the times and places of its regular meetings.",
   "The date and type of the meeting at issue (regular meeting, single special meeting, or rescheduled special meeting).",
   "Whether regular meeting dates were changed and, if so, the date and newspaper in which notice was published.",
   "The number of days between the publication date and the changed meeting date."
  ],
  "common_mistakes": [
   {
    "text": "Assuming every public body must prepare an annual schedule of regular meetings even when it has no regularly scheduled meetings.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A council's meeting notices and member OMA training",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54184/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Treating a single special meeting or a rescheduled special meeting as a change in regular meeting dates for the ten-day notice rule.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A council's meeting notices and member OMA training",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54184/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Requesting a regular-meeting schedule for a committee or body that does not meet regularly.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A village's committee meeting schedule",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-46079/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Demanding newspaper publication for a regular meeting itself instead of for a change in the regular meeting schedule.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Notice and agenda posting for a cemetery board meeting",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-47489/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "caution": "These determination letters are non-binding and fact-specific, so verify the PDF and do not treat this as legal advice."
 },
 "issues": [
  {
   "issue": "Annual schedule of regular meetings",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "A public body that does not hold regularly scheduled meetings is not required to prepare an annual schedule of regular meetings.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A council's meeting notices and member OMA training",
    "date": "2018-12-19",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54184/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 26850",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 41790",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 17663",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 49458",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Ten-day notice for changed regular meeting dates",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "The ten-day notice requirement applies only when a public body changes its regular meeting dates going forward, not when a single special meeting is scheduled or rescheduled.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A council's meeting notices and member OMA training",
    "date": "2018-12-19",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54184/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 21021",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to give 10 days' notice of regular meeting schedule change",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "A public body must publish notice of a change in regular meeting dates at least 10 days in advance in a newspaper of general circulation.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Failure to provide notice of amended meeting schedule",
    "date": "2017-12-05",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-48602/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Newspaper publication of regular meeting notice",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "OMA only requires newspaper publication for changes in the schedule of regular meetings, not for regular meetings themselves.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Notice and agenda posting for a cemetery board meeting",
    "date": "2017-05-26",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-47489/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to prepare and make available schedule of regular meetings",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Section 2.03 requires preparation of a schedule of all regular meetings listing times and places, but this applies only to regular meetings, not committees that do not meet regularly.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A village's committee meeting schedule",
    "date": "2017-08-08",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-46079/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  }
 ]
}