Gov. Terry Branstad signed a bill on Thursday that will set forth penalties for government agencies that violate open-record and public-meeting laws.

Under the law, a governmental body must give notice of the time, date, and place of each meeting and the tentative agenda of the meeting. If a member of a governmental agency knowingly violates the law, the fine will be between $1,000 and $2,500.

The bill also contains items relating to public records for personnel, including requiring employers to note if an employee was fired for disciplinary reasons.

The bill is effective immediately.

— by Allie Wright