Freedom of Information Act

The purpose of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is to ensure that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government, and the official acts and policies of those who represent them as public officials. The principle mandate of the Act provides that each public body shall make available to any person for inspection, or upon submission of a written request, to provide copies of any requested records that are subject to disclosure under the Act. Not all records are subject to disclosure, and the Act provides a number of exemptions. This Act is not intended to be used to violate individual privacy, nor for the purpose of furthering a commercial enterprise, or to disrupt the duly-undertaken work of any public body independent of the fulfillment of any of the rights of the people to access to information (5 ILCS 140/1).

To obtain information from the Kankakee County Health Department you should submit your request in writing to:

Kankakee County Health Department FOIA Officer
John J. Bevis, MPH, Administrator
2390 West Station Street
Kankakee, IL 60901
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Your request should include your name, your address, the date and a daytime phone number so we can contact you if there is a question. Describe the information you are seeking with sufficient detail so we can find the requested record. Providing as much information as possible in your request on the subject matter may expedite the search. For your convenience you may click on the following link for a FOIA request form.

(Provide as much specific detail as possible so the public body can identify the information that you are seeking.)
(It is a violation of the Freedom of Information Act for a person to knowingly obtain a public record for a commercial purpose without disclosing that it is for a commercial purpose, if requested to do so by the public body. 5 ILCS 140.3.1( c)).
(If you are requesting that the public body waive any fees for copying the documents, you must attach a statement of the purpose of the request, and whether the principal purpose of the request is to access or disseminate information regarding the health, safety and welfare or legal rights of the general public. 5 ILCS 140/6(c)).
(Provide as much specific detail as possible so the public body can identify the information that you are seeking.)
Note to requester: Retain a copy of this request for your files. If you eventually need to file a Request for Review with the Public Access Counselor, you will need to submit a copy of your FOIA request.

Response Time
On FOIA Requests All written requests shall be responded to within five (5) working days (5 ILCS/140/3) following the date the request is received, except in the instance when the request is for commercial purposes. (Within 21 working days of receiving a request for commercial purposes Kankakee County will: (1) provide a reasonable estimate of time needed to comply with the request along with an estimate of the fees which the requestor will be charged; (2) deny the request pursuant to a statutory exemption; (3) notify the requestor if the request is unduly burdensome and allow the requestor to revise the request to manageable proportions; or (4) provide the requested records. .) The five (5) day count begins the day after the receipt of the FOIA request by the Department Head, or designee. The requester may be notified of a five (5) day extension (working days) if the files are voluminous, at different locations, or if other reasons make it impossible to assemble and mail the request out within the normal five (5) day period.

Appeal of Denial of FOIA Requests
Any person denied access to inspect or copy any public record for any reason may appeal the denial by sending a written notice of appeal to the Public Access Counselor at the following address:

Public Access Counselor
Office of the Attorney General
500 S. 2nd Street
Springfield, Illinois 62701
Phone: 1-877-299-FOIA
Fax: (217) 782-1396
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