Federal Records Management

AC 03.2015

October 30, 2014

MEMORANDUM TO FEDERAL AGENCY CONTACTS: Notifying NARA About Comprehensive Schedule Changes Due to GRS Transmittal 23

Federal agencies are asked to inform NARA about changes in record retention made in accordance with General Records Schedule (GRS) Transmittal 23 on September 16, 2014. The following information should be sent to either the GRS Team or the Federal Records Centers Program (FRCP).

Notifications to the GRS Team (due January 16, 2015)

If your agency will be continuing to use its own disposition authority instead of the GRS, in other words superseding the GRS, you must notify GRS_Team@nara.gov. The notification should include for each superseded  item:

  • agency disposition authority (N1 or DAA number and item number)
  • agency manual citation (manual number, item number) if applicable and
  • the superseded GRS item(s).
If your agency uses a comprehensive manual that includes GRS items identified by agency manual item numbers, and those GRS items are superseded by Transmittal 23, you must update your manual to reference the new GRS item number and retention. You will also need to update retention periods already assigned to records in agency space, FRCs, or private records centers.  You do not need to inform the GRS Team of the completion of these tasks, but you may need to inform the FRCP so that the proper updates can be made (see below).

Notifications to the FRCP (due March 1, 2015)

The FRCP has already updated its holdings for agency transfers retired under GRS disposition authorities superseded by Transmittal 23.  However, changes were not made to transfers retired under agency manual items that derive from the GRS.

In order to make all needed updates, agencies must notify the FRCP no later than March 1, 2015, if the retention of records stored under agency manual items changed due to updates related to GRS Transmittal 23. This can be accomplished by forwarding to the FRCP a copy of your updated manual or interim guidance implementing the GRS.

If an agency wishes to discontinue using an agency manual item to identify records in FRCs rather than the GRS, it should provide the FRCP with the agency manual item and the new GRS authority.  The FRCP will then manage affected transfers by the GRS item through the remainder of the records life cycle.

Records Subject to A Freeze

Many new authorities in Transmittal 23 merge numerous old GRS authorities.  If one of those old authorities was subject to a freeze, the new authority incorporating it inherits the freeze.  Transfers already in FRCs previously unaffected by the freeze remain unfrozen, but agency records transferred to FRCs under the new authority will be frozen.  Agencies should analyze the impact of GRS changes on freezes and on litigation and other holds agency-wide.  Such analysis should inform potential updates to agency direction and/or the scope of a freeze.

Please contact the GRS Team at GRS_Team@nara.gov if you have questions about applying or superseding records covered under GRS Transmittal 23. Contact your account manager for questions regarding interactions with the FRCP.  If you are not sure who your assigned account manager is, please refer to http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/appraisal/work-group-all.html. Decision trees are attached to this communication to help determine if notifications are required.

PAUL M. WESTER, JR.
Chief Records Officer
for the U.S. Government

Attachment:
AC 03.2015 - Aligning Agency Schedules with GRS Transmittal 23

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