The proposed General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5548 seeks to amend the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to enhance the confidentiality of residential addresses for certain public employees and to protect specific records related to higher education. The bill repeals the existing Section 1-217 and introduces new provisions that prohibit public agencies from disclosing the residential addresses of various public employees, including judges, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and employees of the Department of Children and Families. It also allows any public agency employee to request nondisclosure of their residential address unless residency is a condition of their employment. Furthermore, public agencies are required to redact residential addresses from records upon receiving a written request for confidentiality.

In addition, the bill amends Section 1-210 to include protections for records maintained by faculty or staff of public institutions of higher education related to teaching or research, excluding financial records. This amendment aims to safeguard sensitive academic and research-related information from public disclosure. The effective date for these changes is set for October 1, 2026. Overall, Raised Bill No. 5548 strengthens privacy protections for public employees and academic records while ensuring transparency in other areas of public agency operations.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 1-217