IDPH Freedom of Information Act Request Form - Fillable PDF IDPH Consent to Release Medical or Confidential Records Form - Fillable PDF Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) Access to Records of the Department of Public Health (2 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1127) |
Frequently Asked Questions
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| How do I file a Freedom of Information Act request? |
Freedom of Information Act requests must be made in writing and submitted to the Department’s Freedom of Information Officer. While there is a form that you may use, any written document that includes the following information would be acceptable:
The Department’s Freedom of Information Act Request Form or your other written request can be sent by: E-mail to:
Fax to:
Mail to:
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| Where do I send a Freedom of Information Act request? |
Freedom of Information Act requests are to be sent to the Department’s Freedom of Information Officer by: E-mail to:
Fax to:
Mail to:
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| Does it cost anything? |
There is a charge for request responses exceeding 50 pages. The fee is 15 cents per page starting at page 51. For example, the fee for a 100 page response would be $7.50 - 50 pages x $0.15. There is no charge for records that are maintained electronically. |
| Do you accept credit cards for fee payments? |
The Department is not capable of accepting credit card payments at this time for Freedom of Information Act requests. Fees need to be paid by check or money order payable to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Payments must be sent ALONG WITH A COPY OF THE “FEE NOTICE” LETTER to:
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| How long will it take to obtain the records? |
The Freedom of Information Act requires the Department to respond to non-commercial requests within five business days or a date which is mutually agreed upon by the Department and the requestor. The Department can ask for an additional five business days in which to respond under certain circumstances outlined in the Act and upon the provision of a written notice to the requestor. Commercial requests must be responded to within 21 business days. It can be expected that the Department will ask for additional time for nursing home requests because of the number and size of those requests. |
| Can you send me the records by overnight mail? |
The Department does not pay to send the records by overnight mail. At the discretion of the Freedom of Information Officer, you may be able to send the Freedom of Information Officer a pre-addressed return overnight mailer with your billing account number for use in mailing requested records. |
| What other information do I need to include in my request for records? |
If depends on the nature of your request. Medical Information/Private Information - Requests for medical information about a patient or for private information, you will need to have a signed authorization or release from the patient or subject of the information or their legal representative. If no authorization or release is received with the request, the medical or private information will be redacted (blacked out) or completely withheld. Environmental – Environmental engineers frequently ask for water well or other environmental records relating to a specific property. These requests should include the legal description of the property. |
| What is a request for commercial purpose? |
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Section 2 (C-10) of the Freedom of Information Act defines commercial purpose as:
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| Where do I send subpoenas? |
Subpoenas are different from Freedom of Information Act requests. They need to be sent to the Department’s Division of Legal Services at:
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Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Officer |
Summary of the DepartmentList of Locations and Telephone Numbers Appropriations, Staffing and Program Information |
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Illinois Department
of Public Health 535 W. Jefferson St. Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments |