[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 154 (Wednesday, August 9, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48739-48740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20131]


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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 (NARA).

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. The agencies identified in this 
notice have submitted schedules pursuant to NARA Bulletin 99-04 to 
obtain separate disposition authority 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 
September 25, 2000. On request, NARA will send a copy of the schedule. 
NARA staff usually prepare appraisal 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.
    On March 25, 1999, the Archivist issued NARA Bulletin 99-04, which 
told 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. On December 27, 1999, the Archivist issued NARA 
Bulletin 2000-02, which suspended Bulletin 99-04 pending NARA's 
completion in FY 2001 of an overall review of scheduling and appraisal. 
On completion of this review, which will address all records, including 
electronic copies, NARA will determine whether Bulletin 99-04 should be 
revised or replaced with an alternative scheduling procedure. However, 
NARA will accept and process schedules for electronic copies prepared 
in accordance with Bulletin 99-04 that are submitted after December

[[Page 48740]]

27, 1999, as well as schedules that were submitted prior to this date.
    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 Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service 
(N9-462-00-02, 3 items, 3 temporary items). Electronic copies of 
records created using electronic mail and word processing that are 
associated with correspondence, reports, speeches, publications, grant 
of inspection applications and approvals for meat and poultry 
establishments, and the activities of agency inspectors at meat and 
poultry plants. This schedule follows Model 2 as described in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. Recordkeeping copies 
of these files are included in Disposition Jobs N1-462-95-2, N1-462-94-
1, N1-462-93-3, NI-462-91-1, NC1-462-80-1 and NC1-462-80-3.

    Dated: August 3, 2000.
Michael J. Kurtz,
Assistant Archivist for Record Services--Washington, DC.
[FR Doc. 00-20131 Filed 8-8-00; 8:45 am]
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