Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about NARA’s Digitization Regulation

That which was the amendment towards the digitization legislation?

On April 10, 2019, NARA published a change to your Electronic Records Management legislation (last guideline) in 36 CFR Chapter XII, Subchapter B, component 1236 by the addition of a unique Subpart D – Digitizing Temporary Federal Records. The amended legislation can be obtained at effective at the time of might 10 south korean mail order wife, 2019.

Subpart D applies to short-term documents, regardless of structure. The legislation will not yet deal with digitization and disposition procedures for permanent records.

Exactly why is NARA issuing a regulation on digitizing records?

In 2014, the Federal Records Act, 44 U.S.C. § 3302, had been amended by Public Law 113-87 and needed NARA to promulgate laws developing “standards for the reproduction of documents by photographic, microphotographic, or electronic procedures with a view to your disposal associated with initial records.” The law required NARA to develop standards for digitizing records in a regulation so that agencies can destroy original source records in other words.

May agencies destroy short-term initial supply documents that they will have digitized?

If agencies validate they may destroy the original source records pursuant to an appropriate NARA-approved disposition authority that they digitized temporary records according to the standards in this regulation.

Just how do agencies validate they have digitized short-term records relating to this regulation’s requirements?

Agencies may develop or follow their validation that is own process. Nonetheless, the method must add an approach for checking that the digitized variations of short-term documents capture all information within the initial supply documents, including all of the pages or other sources (such as for example envelopes, cards, or gluey records), and therefore the agency may use the digitized variations for similar purposes whilst the initial supply documents, like the capacity to verify deals and tasks.

Agencies must report the validation procedure they utilize and retain that documents for the life associated with the validation procedure or perhaps the lifetime of any documents digitized using that validation procedure, whichever is longer. More info concerning the GRS authority for disposition associated with validation procedure documents will soon be forthcoming.

Agencies need not look for NARA approval as an element of their validation procedure. NARA may review validation documents as required.

Just exactly exactly What disposition authority relates to short-term original supply documents?

The temporary source that is original remain Federal records. Agencies must make use of a disposition that is approved to destroy them once digitized. The initial supply documents become intermediary documents in the event that agency elects to help make the digitized variation the formal recordkeeping content. Agencies can use the General Records Schedule (GRS) 5.2, Item 20, Intermediary Records or an ongoing, NARA-approved agency-specific documents schedule that covers the documents once digitized.

Let’s say the digitization processes found in yesteryear for short-term records usually do not meet up with the criteria granted when you look at the legislation? Will agencies need certainly to re-digitize the source that is original?

Agencies may prefer to evaluate digitization that is prior in the event that agency’s previous digitization criteria aren’t generally speaking compliant aided by the legislation. In such cases, agencies will probably have to wthhold the source that is original because the recordkeeping copy for the planned retention duration, or they could decide to re-digitize.

Do agencies need to submit notices of unauthorized disposal for destruction of short-term initial source documents that had been digitized and disposed of just before this legislation upgrade?

If short-term initial supply documents were digitized and disposed of in respect with a legitimate documents routine (agency-specific or GRS) ahead of this legislation enhance, then agencies do not need to submit an unauthorized disposal notification.

Will NARA upgrade the GRS for initial supply documents which have been digitized?

Yes, when NARA posts the upgrade for digitizing records that are permanent we shall update GRS 5.2 to make sure that all documents related to digitization tasks are expressly covered.

Whenever will NARA supply a legislation with standards for digitizing records that are permanent?

Our company is developing another Subpart to the legislation with standards for digitizing and validating permanent documents, and can publish it as a proposed guideline for interagency and review that is public then as last guideline.

May agencies destroy permanent initial supply records these have digitized?

NARA suggests against getting rid of permanent initial supply documents after digitizing until we publish standards for digitizing permanent records being a guideline. Agencies should talk to their general counsel in the dangers of destroying the permanent original source documents before the guideline is last. In specific, there was a risk that the disposal of initial supply documents might be at the mercy of appropriate challenge absent an applicable NARA legislation. (See Robinson v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 178, 187 (No. 15-0715, 2016)). NARA’s workplace of General Counsel is present to fulfill with an agency’s counsel that is general staff to advise further from the problem.

How can media basic notifications relate solely to records that are permanent?

This year, NARA established an activity through which agencies could alert us which they had been planning to digitize permanent records and sooner or later move digitized variations to NARA. The news notification that is neutral and operations are found in NARA Bulletin 2010-04. The Bulletin additionally provides help with getting rid of initial supply documents after doing the notification procedure.

Will NARA continue to accept news notifications that are neutral?

Yes, NARA continues to accept news basic notifications for permanent documents. Please speak to your agency’s NARA assessment archivist with particular questions.

Will NARA continue steadily to accept proposed schedules for digitized records that are permanent?

Yes, if NARA gets an agency-specific records routine that proposes losing permanent source that is original after digitization, we are going to register the submitted schedule and start the review and approval procedure. Nevertheless, we’ll advise the agency that the routine can not be authorized because of the Archivist associated with united states of america until we publish the legislation for digitizing records that are permanent.

Will NARA accept transfers of digitized records that are permanent?

Yes, NARA is accepting transfers of digitized permanent documents. A company may begin the transfer procedure in ERA should they:

  • have completed the news basic notification procedure with NARA once the initial supply record had been the recordkeeping content; or
  • have valid routine that declares the electronic record due to the fact recordkeeping copy.

In a choice of situation, we might further consult with the agency concerning the transfer.

Whom should agencies contact for extra information?

For questions regarding the digitization requirements or documents administration problems, be sure to contact acps@nara.gov. For questions regarding the legislation procedure, please contact Kimberly Keravuori at regulation_comments@nara.gov or 301-837-3151.

These pages ended up being final reviewed on 12, 2019 april. Call us with concerns or feedback.