{
 "topic": "FOIA section 3(a)",
 "statute": "5 ILCS 140/3(a)",
 "family": "Responding to requests: deadlines, extensions, copies",
 "page": "https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/foia-3-a/",
 "note": "Determination letters are non-binding. Verify against the source PDF before citing.",
 "counts": {
  "violation_found": 0,
  "no_violation": 3,
  "no_determination": 0,
  "other": 0
 },
 "challenge_notes": null,
 "issues": [
  {
   "issue": "Whether the University violated FOIA by not providing records quantifying and corroborating limited FOIA personnel and resources, and hours devoted to FOIA duties",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "A FOIA request must reasonably identify existing public records, not seek explanations, calculations, or new records; a public body is not required to answer questions or generate records.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A university's FOIA personnel and resource records",
    "date": "2024-07-01",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-81942/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Chicago Tribune Co. v. Department of Financial & Professional Regulation, 2014 IL App (4th) 130427, ¶ 33",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2014%20IL%20App%20(4th)%20130427/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Kenyon v. Garrels, 184 Ill. App. 3d 28, 32 (1989)",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/pre1996-129427/"
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "FOIA request directed to individual trustee",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "FOIA requests must be directed to the public body, not individual officials, who are not public bodies and need not respond.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A village trustee's records of a community Facebook page",
    "date": "2024-05-31",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-81544/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Quinn v. Stone, 211 Ill. App. 3d 809 (1991)",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 70274, issued March 14, 2022",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "No exclusive right to access and disseminate under section 3(a)",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Section 3(a)'s second sentence prohibits delegating FOIA duties by granting an exclusive right to access and disseminate; limited access without dissemination rights does not violate it.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "University records claimed exempt under personal privacy",
    "date": "2016-03-31",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-38669/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  }
 ]
}