OMA section 2.02
OMA5 ILCS 120/2.02. Section 2.02 overview: Detailed public-notice rules: post the year's regular meeting schedule at the start of each year, post an agenda at least 48 hours before each regular meeting (and on the body's website if it has staff-maintained one), and give appropriate notice for special or emergency meetings too.
12 issues across 10 determination letters:9 violation found · 2 no violation · 1 no determination / resolved.
Counts are per issue, not per letter, and come from automated extraction checked against sampled letters. Determination letters are not binding precedent.
Authorities the Bureau cites most on this issue
How to challenge a denial on this issue
AI-generated summary of the decisions listed on this page, with each point linked to the letters it comes from. Determination letters are not binding precedent and this is not legal advice. Open the letter and check the PDF before relying on any point.
When a challenge is strong
- The public body failed to post any notice and agenda for a meeting at least 48 hours in advance. OMA requires advance posting of notice and agenda for all meetings.Based on: 2017 · An advisory committee's special m… · 2018 · Unannounced pre-meeting gathering… · 2020 · City council conference call gath…
- A gathering involving a majority of a quorum discussed public business without prior notice or an agenda. Such a gathering qualifies as a meeting under OMA and requires notice and an agenda.Based on: 2017 · A gathering of three aldermen abo…
- Final action was taken on an item not listed on the meeting's advance agenda. OMA mandates that advance notice of final action be included in the meeting agenda.Based on: 2024 · Board vote to appoint an executiv…
- A subcommittee or advisory committee held a meeting without posting notice and agenda. Subcommittees and advisory committees are subject to OMA’s notice requirements.Based on: 2024 · A DEI subcommittee's failure to p… · 2020 · An advisory committee's closed me…
- The public body changed its regular meeting schedule but failed to post the revised schedule at its principal office and on its website. A public body must post notice of changes to its regular meeting schedule.Based on: 2017 · Failure to provide notice of amen…
When the public body usually wins
- The requester challenges a vote to present a report or to schedule a future meeting as final action taken without proper notice. Such votes are considered intermediate steps, not final action, so no 48-hour agenda notice is required.Based on: 2023 · Adding an agenda item less than 2…
- The requester argues that the meeting agenda lacked the physical address of the meeting location. OMA does not require a meeting agenda to include the physical address.Based on: 2018 · Unannounced pre-meeting gathering…
- The requester makes a vague allegation about a meeting without providing specific details (date, time, nature of business). Without sufficient facts, the Bureau cannot make a determination, leaving the body’s actions effectively unchallenged.Based on: 2017 · An advisory committee's special m…
Points to put in your letter
- State clearly that the public body held a meeting without posting the notice and agenda at least 48 hours in advance, as required by OMA.Based on: 2017 · An advisory committee's special m… · 2018 · Unannounced pre-meeting gathering…
- If a gathering of a majority of a quorum discussed public business, argue that this was a meeting that required notice and an agenda.Based on: 2017 · A gathering of three aldermen abo…
- Point out any final action taken that was not disclosed on the advance agenda, and assert that this violates the requirement for advance notice of final action.Based on: 2024 · Board vote to appoint an executiv…
- Note that subcommittees and advisory committees must also comply with OMA’s notice and agenda posting requirements.Based on: 2024 · A DEI subcommittee's failure to p… · 2020 · An advisory committee's closed me…
- If the public body’s regular meeting agenda was not posted on its website, request that the body cure the violation by re-voting on the action items.Based on: 2019 · Private agency funding hearings a…
Common mistakes
- Assuming that any gathering of board members requires a posted notice and agenda, when OMA only applies to a gathering of a majority of a quorum where public business is discussed.Based on: 2017 · A gathering of three aldermen abo…
- Believing that the agenda must include the physical address of the meeting location, which is not required by OMA.Based on: 2018 · Unannounced pre-meeting gathering…
- Treating a vote to present a report or schedule a future meeting as a final action that requires 48-hour advance notice on the agenda.Based on: 2023 · Adding an agenda item less than 2…
- Submitting a challenge without providing specific details like the date of the meeting or the nature of the discussion, leading to no determination.Based on: 2017 · An advisory committee's special m…
Facts to gather first
- The date, time, and type of meeting (regular, special, or committee).
- Whether a majority of a quorum was present and public business was discussed.
- Details about what final action was taken and whether it appeared on the agenda.
- Evidence of whether and when the notice and agenda were posted (online, at the principal office, or elsewhere).
These notes are based on non-binding determination letters from the Public Access Bureau; the success of any challenge depends on the specific facts, so review the full decisions for context.
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: oma-2-02.json.
Violation found (9)
Whether subcommittees held improper unnoticed meetings
Rule: Public bodies must provide advance notice of meetings; subcommittees failed to do so.
Violation found A DEI subcommittee's failure to provide meeting notice · April 9, 2024
Whether ACT Board violated OMA by taking final action without advance notice
Rule: A public body must provide advance notice of final action in the meeting agenda.
Violation found Board vote to appoint an executive director without agenda notice · December 17, 2024
Failure to post notice and agenda
Rule: Meetings must have proper advance posting of notice and agenda.
Violation found City council conference call gatherings without public notice · September 11, 2020
Advisory Committee's compliance with OMA meeting requirements
Rule: The Advisory Committee improperly held meetings without adhering to OMA requirements, and must provide advance notice, keep minutes, allow public comment, and complete OMA training.
Violation found An advisory committee's closed meetings and missing records · July 31, 2020
Failure to post September 29, 2015 meeting agenda on website
Rule: A public body must post the agenda of regular meetings on its website; failure to do so violates OMA, but re-voting on the action items can cure the violation.
Violation found Private agency funding hearings and missing meeting agendas · April 12, 2019
Failure to post notice and agendas for 6:30 p.m. gatherings
Rule: Public bodies must post notice and agendas for meetings at least 48 hours in advance.
Violation found Unannounced pre-meeting gatherings and a blocked board meeting · February 20, 2018
Failure to post revised regular meeting schedule at principal office and website
Rule: A public body must post notice of a change in its regular meeting schedule at its principal office and on its website.
Violation found Failure to provide notice of amended meeting schedule · December 5, 2017
Failure to post notice and agenda
Rule: A public body must post notice and an agenda at least 48 hours before a meeting.
Violation found An advisory committee's special meeting notice and agenda · April 7, 2017
Gathering of City Council members without notice and agenda
Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum of a public body to discuss public business is a meeting, requiring proper notice and agenda.
Violation found A gathering of three aldermen about city business · July 5, 2017
No violation (2)
Final action on One Fair Wage ordinance without 48-hour notice
Rule: Votes to permit presentation of a report and to schedule a future meeting are intermediate steps, not final action, so no 48-hour agenda notice was required.
No violation Adding an agenda item less than 24 hours before a meeting · November 21, 2023
Posting of meeting location on agenda
Rule: OMA does not require a particular meeting agenda to include the physical address of the meeting location.
No violation Unannounced pre-meeting gatherings and a blocked board meeting · February 20, 2018
No determination / resolved (1)
General meetings notice posting at principal office or website
Rule: The request did not allege sufficient facts to review the allegation, but the Committee was cautioned to follow notice procedures.
No determination / resolved An advisory committee's special meeting notice and agenda · April 7, 2017