ILCS » Chapter 5 · Act 120
Illinois Compiled Statutes

5 ILCS 120/2a (2026)

A public body may hold a meeting closed to the public, or close a portion of a meeting to the public, upon a majority vote of a quorum present, taken at a meeting open to the public for which notice has been given as required by this Act

✓ current as of May 2026
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(5 ILCS 120/2a) (from Ch. 102, par. 42a)
    Sec. 2a. A public body may hold a meeting closed to the public, or close a portion of a meeting to the public, upon a majority vote of a quorum present, taken at a meeting open to the public for which notice has been given as required by this Act. A single vote may be taken with respect to a series of meetings, a portion or portions of which are proposed to be closed to the public, provided each meeting in such series involves the same particular matters and is scheduled to be held within no more than 3 months of the vote. The vote of each member on the question of holding a meeting closed to the public and a citation to the specific exception contained in Section 2 of this Act which authorizes the closing of the meeting to the public shall be publicly disclosed at the time of the vote and shall be recorded and entered into the minutes of the meeting. Nothing in this Section or this Act shall be construed to require that any meeting be closed to the public.
    At any open meeting of a public body for which proper notice under this Act has been given, the body may, without additional notice under Section 2.02, hold a closed meeting in accordance with this Act. Only topics specified in the vote to close under this Section may be considered during the closed meeting.
(Source: P.A. 88-621, eff. 1-1-95; 89-86, eff. 6-30-95.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 14 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1997–2021 · leading case: Henry v. Anderson, 827 N.E.2d 522 (Ill. App. Ct. 2005).
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Henry v. Anderson, 827 N.E.2d 522 (Ill. App. Ct. 2005). · cites it 8× “She alleged that on October 29 and 30, 2002, they violated section 2a of the Open Meetings Act (Act) (5 ILCS 120/2a (West 2002)) by holding closed meetings without first citing any statutory exception to the requirement of open meetings.”
LeCompte v. Zoning Bd. of Appeal for the Vill. of Barrington Hills, 2011 IL App (1st) 100423 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). “The LeComptes argue in their reply brief that the Zoning Board violated the Act when it (1) failed to vote in open meeting to have a closed session and identify the exception that allowed the closed session (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(4) (West 2008)), and (2) failed to indicate the results…”
Roxana Cmty. Unit Sch. Dist. No. 1 v. Env't Prot. Agency, 2013 IL App (4th) 120825 (Ill. App. Ct. 2013). “” 5 ILCS 120/2a (West 2010). ¶ 52 3. The Board’s Noncompliance With the Open Meetings Act ¶ 53 With regard to the closed sessions the Board held on January 12, 2012, and January 26, 2012, plaintiffs contend the Board violated the Open Meetings Act by failing to cite the…”
Bd. of Regents of Regency Univ. Sys. v. Reynard, 686 N.E.2d 1222 (Ill. App. Ct. 1997). “Section 2a of the Act (5 ILCS 120/2a (West 1994)) provides that in order to have a closed session, the public body must have a public majority vote taken at a meeting open to the public.”
LeCOMPTE v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals, 958 N.E.2d 1065 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). “(West 2008)) in their reply brief should be stricken because it was not made in the administrative proceedings, in the circuit court or in its initial appellate brief. The LeComptes argue in their reply brief that the Zoning Board violated the Act when it (1) failed to vote in…”
Galena Gazette Publications, Inc. v. Cnty. of Jo Daviess, 872 N.E.2d 1049 (Ill. App. Ct. 2007). “All meetings of public bodies shall be open to the public unless excepted in subsection (c) and closed in accordance with Section 2a [5 ILCS 120/2a (West 2004)]. (b) Construction of exceptions.”
City of Bloomington v. Raoul, 2021 IL App (4th) 190539 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021). “” 5 ILCS 120/2a (West 2016). And as noted above, when a public body invokes an exception, “the exceptions are to be strictly construed” and extend “only to subjects clearly within their scope.”
Henry v. Anderson (Ill. App. Ct. 2005). · cites it 8× “She alleged that on October 29 and 30, 2002, they violated section 2a of the Open Meetings Act (Act) (5 ILCS 120/2a (West 2002)) by holding closed meetings without first citing any statutory exception to the requirement of open meetings.”
Wyman v. Schweighart, 904 N.E.2d 77 (Ill. App. Ct. 2008). · cites it 7× “5 ILCS 120/2a (West 2006). Pursuant to section 2a, to close a meeting or portion of a meeting, the public body must show that a majority vote of the quorum present, “taken at a meeting open to the public for which notice has been given as required by this Act,” voted to hold the…”
City of Bloomington v. Raoul, 2021 IL App (4th) 190539 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021). “” 5 ILCS 120/2a (West 2016). And as noted above, when a public body invokes an exception, “the exceptions are to be strictly construed,” and extend “only to subjects clearly within their scope.”
Wyman v. Schweighart (Ill. App. Ct. 2008). · cites it 5× “5 ILCS 120/2a (West 2006). Section 2a requires that "[t]he vote of each member on the question of holding a meeting closed to the public and a citation to the specific exception contained in [s]ection 2 of this Act which authorizes the closing of the meeting to the public shall…”
Patterson v. Peoria Cnty. Sheriff's Off. Merit Comm'n, 2021 IL App (3d) 210036-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2021). “” 5 ILCS 120/2a (West 2020). Even if a section 2(c) exception applies, “[n]o final action may be taken at a closed meeting.”
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