---
type: "Bill"
title: "FOI-ATTORNEY FEES"
description: "Amends the Freedom of Information Act. For a court's awarding of attorney fees in a suit resulting from denial of disclosure of a public record, removes the requirements that (i) the record is highly significant to the general public and (ii) the public body lacked a reasonable legal basis for the denial."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "93rd"
identifier: "SB 690"
citation: "Illinois SB 690 (93rd)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 49
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2003-02-19"
last_action: "2003-08-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/75275145-51a1-4e89-a3c9-fbc1d8e40d85"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=690&GAID=3&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=3363&SessionID=3&GA=93"
source_hash: "7c4b5279ae1869b9f25c947170321b41f5bd87c1c2574fe1ee780f2c469a4bb1"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois SB 690 (93rd) — FOI-ATTORNEY FEES

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. For a court's awarding of attorney fees in a suit resulting from denial of disclosure of a public record, removes the requirements that (i) the record is highly significant to the general public and (ii) the public body lacked a reasonable legal basis for the denial.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB0690&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=3363&DocNum=690&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB0690eng&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=3363&DocNum=690&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB0690enr&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=3363&DocNum=690&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **58–0** (pass) · upper
- Concurrence — **58–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **117–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- John J. Cullerton — primary (person)
- Kevin Joyce — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2003-02-19** Filed with Secretary by Sen. John J. Cullerton `filing`
- **2003-02-19** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2003-02-19** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2003-02-27** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Richard J. Winkel, Jr.
- **2003-03-03** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Chris Lauzen
- **2003-03-05** Assigned to Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2003-03-05** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Christine Radogno
- **2003-03-18** Do Pass Judiciary; 010-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2003-03-18** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 19, 2003
- **2003-03-25** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2003-03-25** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading March 26, 2003
- **2003-03-25** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. John J. Cullerton `amendment-introduction`
- **2003-03-25** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2003-03-26** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Judiciary
- **2003-03-27** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Be Approved for Consideration Judiciary; 010-000-000
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Secretary by Sen. John J. Cullerton `amendment-introduction`
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Judiciary
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Be Approved for Consideration Judiciary; 008-000-000
- **2003-04-02** Recalled to Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted; Cullerton `amendment-passage`
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted; Cullerton `amendment-passage`
- **2003-04-02** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading April 3, 2003
- **2003-04-03** Third Reading - Passed; 058-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2003-04-03** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2003-04-08** Chief House Sponsor Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie
- **2003-04-08** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2003-04-08** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2003-04-08** Assigned to State Government Administration Committee `referral-committee`
- **2003-04-16** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by State Government Administration Committee `amendment-introduction`
- **2003-04-16** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in State Government Administration Committee; by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2003-04-16** Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate State Government Administration Committee; 009-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2003-04-16** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2003-04-29** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Kevin Joyce
- **2003-05-09** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2003-05-09** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2003-05-14** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 117-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2003-05-14** Secretary's Desk - Concurrence House Amendment(s) 01
- **2003-05-14** Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence House Amendment(s) 01 - May 15, 2003
- **2003-05-21** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Filed with Secretary Sen. John J. Cullerton `filing`
- **2003-05-21** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2003-05-22** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Rules Referred to Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2003-05-22** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Be Approved for Consideration Judiciary; 008-000-000
- **2003-05-29** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Senate Concurs 058-000-000
- **2003-05-29** Passed Both Houses
- **2003-06-27** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2003-08-08** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2003-08-08** Effective Date January 1, 2004
- **2003-08-08** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 93-0466 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/75275145-51a1-4e89-a3c9-fbc1d8e40d85`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).