FOIA section 3.6(a)

FOIA

5 ILCS 140/3.6(a). Section 3.6 overview: A public body can slow down and negotiate scope on a genuinely “voluminous” request (defined by size/complexity thresholds elsewhere in the Act) instead of just denying it outright -- it must notify the requester within 5 business days and give them a chance to narrow the request.

2 issues across 2 determination letters:1 violation found · 1 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 Determination letters are not binding precedent.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-3-6-a.json.

TOPIC: 5 ILCS 140/3.6(a)
SOURCE: Illinois Attorney General Public Access Bureau decisions compiled at https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/foia-3-6-a/
NOTE: Determination letters are not binding precedent; they show how the Bureau applies the law.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 (1):
- Whether voluminous request notification was timely
  Rule: A public body must notify a requester that it is treating a request as voluminous within 5 business days after receipt, with no extension under section 3(e).
  Decision: Office of Professional Review reports and security camera footage of grievances (non-binding determination letter, July 12, 2016) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-40373/

NO VIOLATION (1):
- Voluminous request classification and fee imposition
  Rule: A request qualifies as voluminous if it seeks more than 5 categories of records within 20 business days, allowing fees under section 6(a-5).
  Decision: Writer reviews from a university (non-binding determination letter, July 15, 2024) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-81922/



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 (1)

Whether voluminous request notification was timely
Rule: A public body must notify a requester that it is treating a request as voluminous within 5 business days after receipt, with no extension under section 3(e).
Violation found Office of Professional Review reports and security camera footage of grievances · July 12, 2016

No violation (1)

Voluminous request classification and fee imposition
Rule: A request qualifies as voluminous if it seeks more than 5 categories of records within 20 business days, allowing fees under section 6(a-5).
No violation Writer reviews from a university · July 15, 2024