National Archives and Records Administration
General Records Schedule
GRS Transmittal No. 16
March 27, 2006
TO: Heads of Federal agencies
1. What does this document do?
GRS Transmittal 16 transmits a revised General Records Schedule (GRS) 3, which provides disposition authorities for Procurement, Supply, and Grant Records. The General Records Schedules provide mandatory disposition instructions for temporary administrative records common to several Federal agencies.
2. What changes have been made to GRS 3?
A new item covering the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Circular A-76, Performance of Commercial Activities Records (FAIR Act Records) has been added to GRS 3.
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 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 36 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 16 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. What do I do with FAIR Act records in my agency that are not covered by GRS 3, Item 18?
If the FAIR Act records in your agency are not covered by GRS 3, Item 18 but are included in other approved disposition authorities, those authorities still apply. If FAIR Act records in your agency are not covered by GRS 3, Item 18 or an approved disposition authority, you must submit to NARA an SF 115 to request disposition authority for those records.
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 3 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
