[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 136 (Friday, July 16, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38482-38483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18178]
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NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
Records Schedules for Electronic Copies Previously Covered by
General Records Schedule 20; Availability and Request for Comments
AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration, Office of Records
Services--Washington, DC.
ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed records schedules; request
for comments.
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SUMMARY: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
publishes notice at least once monthly of certain Federal agency
requests for records disposition authority (records schedules). Once
approved by NARA, records schedules provide mandatory instructions on
what happens to records when no longer needed for current Government
business. They authorize the preservation of records of continuing
value in the National Archives of the United States and the
destruction, after a specified period, of records lacking
administrative, legal, research, or other value. Notice is published
for records schedules in which agencies propose to destroy records not
previously authorized for disposal or reduce the retention period of
records already authorized for disposal.
This request for comments pertains solely to schedules for
electronic copies of records created using word processing and
electronic mail where the recordkeeping copies are already scheduled.
(Electronic copies are records created using word processing or
electronic mail software that remain in storage on the computer system
after the recordkeeping copies are produced.)
These records were previously approved for disposal under General
Records Schedule 20, Items 13 and 14. Pursuant to NARA Bulletin 99-04,
agencies must submit schedules for the electronic copies associated
with program records and administrative records not covered by the
General Records Schedules. NARA invites public comments on such records
schedules, as required by 44 U.S.C. 3303a(a). To facilitate review of
these schedules, their availability for comment is announced in Federal
Register notices separate from those used for other records disposition
schedules.
DATES: Requests for copies must be received in writing on or before
August 30, 1999. On request, NARA will send a copy of the schedule.
NARA staff usually prepare appraisal
[[Page 38483]]
memorandums concerning a proposed schedule. These, too, may be
requested. Requesters will be given 30 days to submit comments.
Some schedules submitted in accordance with NARA Bulletin 99-04
group records by program, function, or organizational element. These
schedules do not include descriptions at the file series level, but,
instead, provide citations to previously approved schedules or agency
records disposition manuals (see Supplementary Information section of
this notice). To facilitate review of such disposition requests,
previously approved schedules or manuals that are cited may be
requested in addition to schedules for the electronic copies. NARA will
provide the first 100 pages at no cost. NARA may charge $.20 per page
for additional copies. These materials also may be examined at no cost
at the National Archives at College Park (8601 Adelphi Road, College
Park, MD).
ADDRESSES: To request a copy of any records schedule identified in this
notice, write to the Life Cycle Management Division (NWML), National
Archives and Records Administration (NARA), 8601 Adelphi Road, College
Park, MD 20740-6001. Requests also may be transmitted by FAX to 301-
713-6852 or by e-mail to [email protected].
Requesters must cite the control number, which appears in
parentheses after the name of the agency which submitted the schedule,
and must provide a mailing address. Those who desire appraisal reports
and/or copies of previously approved schedules or manuals should so
indicate in their request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marie Allen, Director, Life Cycle
Management Division (NWML), National Archives and Records
Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001.
Telephone: (301) 713-7110. E-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each year Federal agencies create billions
of records on paper, film, magnetic tape, and other media. To control
this accumulation, agency records managers prepare schedules proposing
retention periods for records and submit these schedules for NARA
approval, using the Standard Form (SF) 115, Request for Records
Disposition Authority. These schedules provide for the timely transfer
into the National Archives of historically valuable records and
authorize the disposal of all other records after the agency no longer
needs the records to conduct its business. Routine administrative
records common to most agencies are approved for disposal in the
General Records Schedules (GRS), which are disposition schedules issued
by NARA that apply Government-wide.
In the past, NARA approved the disposal of electronic copies of
records created using electronic mail and word processing via General
Records Schedule 20, Items 13 (word processing documents) and 14
(electronic mail). However, NARA has determined that a different
approach to the disposition of electronic copies is needed. In 1998,
the Archivist of the United States established an interagency
Electronic Records Work Group to address this issue and pursuant to its
recommendations, decided that agencies must submit schedules for the
electronic copies of program records and administrative records not
covered by the GRS. On March 25, 1999, the Archivist issued NARA
Bulletin 99-04, which tells agencies what they must do to schedule
electronic copies associated with previously scheduled program records
and certain administrative records that were previously scheduled under
GRS 20, Items 13 and 14.
Schedules submitted in accordance with NARA Bulletin 99-04 only
cover the electronic copies associated with previously scheduled
series. Agencies that wish to schedule hitherto unscheduled series must
submit separate SF 115s that cover both recordkeeping copies and
electronic copies used to create them.
In developing SF 115s for the electronic copies of scheduled
records, agencies may use either of two scheduling models. They may add
an appropriate disposition for the electronic copies formerly covered
by GRS 20, Items 13 and 14, to every item in their manuals or records
schedules where the recordkeeping copy has been created with a word
processing or electronic mail application. This approach is described
as Model 1 in Bulletin 99-04. Alternatively, agencies may group records
by program, function, or organizational component and propose
disposition instructions for the electronic copies associated with each
grouping. This approach is described as Model 2 in the Bulletin.
Schedules that follow Model 2 do not describe records at the series
level.
For each schedule covered by this notice the following information
is provided: Name of the Federal agency and any subdivisions requesting
disposition authority; the organizational unit(s) accumulating the
records or a statement that the schedule has agency-wide applicability
in the case of schedules that cover records that may be accumulated
throughout an agency; the control number assigned to each schedule; the
total number of schedule items; the number of temporary items (the
record series proposed for destruction); a brief description of the
temporary electronic copies; and citations to previously approved SF
115s or printed disposition manuals that scheduled the recordkeeping
copies associated with the electronic copies covered by the pending
schedule. If a cited manual or schedule is available from the
Government Printing Office or has been posted to a publicly available
Web site, this too is noted.
Further information about the disposition process is available on
request.
Schedules Pending
1. Department of Labor, Office of the Secretary of Labor (N9-174-
99-1, 12 items, 12 temporary items). Electronic copies of records
created using electronic mail and word processing accumulated by the
Office of Public Affairs. Included are electronic copies associated
with such records as news releases, publications, transcripts of
speeches and testimony, briefing books, biographies, schedules, and
correspondence. This schedule follows Model 1 as described in the
Supplementary Information section of this notice. Recordkeeping copies
of these files are included in Disposition Jobs N1-174-94-2 and N1-174-
96-6.
2. Tennessee Valley Authority, Agency-wide (N9-142-99-1, 1 item, 1
temporary item). Electronic copies of records created using electronic
mail and word processing that relate to transportation, budget and
finance, library services, copier management, and other administrative
services. Included are electronic copies of records pertaining to such
subjects as the operation and maintenance of aircraft and motor
vehicles, flight schedules, the leasing or purchase of copy machines,
fuel inventories, vanpool operations, and budget preparation. This
schedule follows Model 2 as described in the Supplementary Information
section of this notice. Recordkeeping copies of these files are
included in the Administrative Services chapter of the TVA
Comprehensive Records Schedule.
Dated: July 12, 1999.
Michael J. Kurtz,
Assistant Archivist for Record Services--Washington, DC.
[FR Doc. 99-18178 Filed 7-15-99; 8:45 am]
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