By attorney Dustin Coffman
As a reminder, Iowa law requires newly elected or appointed public officials who serve on governmental bodies to complete mandatory training on the Open Meetings and Open Records laws. This training must be completed by any public officer who takes office after July 1, 2025, whether by appointment or election. It does not apply to public officers who held office on July 1, 2025, and are re-appointed or re-elected to that same office after July 1, 2025. After completing the training, that training will continue to satisfy the training obligation for any future service as an elected or appointed member of any other governmental body. If moving to a different governmental body, an individual should request a copy of their training certificate from the current body and provide it to the new governmental body.
The training is required to be taken within 90 days of a) taking an oath of office, b) assuming the responsibilities of the office if no oath is required, or c) being elected to the position. If more than one qualifying event occurs, the 90-day deadline begins from the later of the two events. The requirement applies to members of city councils, school boards, municipal utility boards, planning and zoning commissions, library boards, boards of adjustment, civil service commissions, and other bodies subject to Iowa’s Open Meetings Law. The training, which must be between one and two hours in length, is required to be made available by the Iowa Public Information Board, with at least one course offered free of charge, and each governmental body must maintain records of completion and make those records available for public inspection upon request.
Governmental bodies should consider taking steps now to:
- Identify members who are newly elected or appointed and subject to the training requirement;
- Ensure those members complete the required training within the statutory timeframe; and
- Maintain documentation demonstrating compliance.
Failure to complete the Open Meetings and Open Records training may subject a member to statutory damages. Violations of the Open Meetings Law may result in damages between five hundred dollars ($500) and two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500). However, if someone knowingly participates in a violation, damages shall be between five thousand ($5,000) and twelve thousand dollars ($12,000).
For a listing of approved training providers, please see here.
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