National Archives and Records Administration
General Records Schedule
GRS Transmittal No. 18
December 14, 2007
TO: Heads of Federal agencies
1. What does this document do?
GRS Transmittal 18 transmits a revised General Records Schedule (GRS) 20, which provides disposition authorities for Electronic Records. The General Records Schedules provide mandatory disposition instructions for temporary administrative and certain permanent records common to several Federal agencies.
2. What changes have been made to GRS 20?
Items 2, 3, and 11 have been revised and new items 3.1 and 16 are added. These revisions to GRS 20 expand the authority agencies have to apply previously approved schedules to electronic records; grant broader authority to agencies to dispose of hard copy records that have been converted to an electronic format; and provide disposition instructions for ad hoc printouts and for documentation associated with permanent electronic records.
3. Do I have to take any action to implement this GRS change?
NARA regulations (36 CFR 1228.50(d)) require agencies to disseminate GRS changes within 6 months of receipt. If your agency already has a NARA-approved agency records disposition schedule for the same series or system of records, you may apply either the disposition instructions in these GRS or the disposition instructions previously approved by NARA (see CFR 1228.42(b)). The chosen authority must be applied on an agency-wide basis. You must notify NARA within 90 days of this GRS Transmittal 18 if you intend to continue using the agency schedule. If you wish to apply a retention period that differs from that specified in the GRS, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 115, Request for Disposition Authority, to NARA for approval.
4. Will there be additional information concerning the issuance of the revised GRS 20?
NARA will be issuing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in FY 2008 to assist agencies in developing media neutral schedules and in implementing the new additions to GRS 20.
5. How do I get copies of the new GRS?
We are posting a set on our web site (http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/ardor/records-schedules.html). GRS 20 is available for downloading in HTML, MS Word, and PDF formats.
6. Whom do I contact for further information?
a. NARA's Life Cycle Management Division provides assistance and advice to agency records officers in the Washington, DC, area. Your agency's records officer may contact the NARA appraiser or records analyst with whom your agency normally works. A list of the appraisal and scheduling work groups is posted on the NARA web site at:
http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/appraisal/.
b. The Records Management staff in NARA's regional offices provides assistance to records officers across the country. A complete list of NARA regional facilities may be found at:
http://www.archives.gov/locations/index.html.
ALLEN WEINSTEIN
Archivist of the United States
