(a)

1. (1) The Arkansas General Records Retention Schedule sets forth the minimum retention requirements of records commonly found in state government.
2. (2) It is not intended to require the creation of such records but rather establishes minimum retention requirements for records created or retained by a state agency.
3. (3) This schedule is not intended to govern the retention of records that are unique to individual agencies.

(b)

1. (1) The records within this schedule are organized into the following seven (7) record categories:

   1. (A) General administrative;
   2. (B) Meetings;
   3. (C) Automated systems;
   4. (D) Personnel and human resources;
   5. (E) Fiscal;
   6. (F) Legal; and
   7. (G) Grants.
2. (2) These categories are logical in nature and are not intended to establish any requirement for physical organization or operational handling, other than the specified retention periods.
3. (3) The name of a record category may or may not correspond to the area or section of an agency that handles the record.

(c)

1. (1) The retention periods established in this schedule are minimum retention periods.
2. (2) They are not intended to prevent individual agencies from establishing longer retention periods for any of their records.

3. (3)

   1. (A) Regardless of the minimum retention periods stated within this schedule, an agency may determine any of its records may:

(i) Be of permanent value to agency operations;

1. (ii) Have external requirements for perpetual retention; or

   1. (iii) Be useful for the study of history.
   2. (B) Such records should be kept permanently.

2. (4) Should any differences in retention periods be found between this schedule and state or federal law, the applicable law will take precedence.

   1. (d)
3. (1) The retention periods of this schedule apply only to the official version of a record.
4. (2) Duplicates of the official version have no retention requirements under this schedule, even if the duplicates are found in different media.

(e)

1. (1) In some cases, this schedule provides examples for record types in order to help agencies identify records.
2. (2) Such examples are not intended to be all-inclusive.

(f)

1. (1) This retention schedule addresses all record formats and media (i.e., electronic, paper, microfiche, etc.).
2. (2) The minimum retention requirement is determined by content, not by format or media.

(g)

1. (1) The Arkansas General Records Retention Schedule will be maintained by the Arkansas Records Retention Workgroup.

2. (2) The workgroup is:

   1. (A) Composed of approximately eighty (80) members from Arkansas state agencies; and
   2. (B) Facilitated by a member of the Department of Finance and Administration.

(h)

1. (1) State government refers to state agencies, boards, and commissions, hereafter referenced simply as agencies.

2. (2) It does not include:

   1. (A) Local, city, or county government;
   2. (B) Public institutions of higher education;
   3. (C) The judicial branch; or
   4. (D) State constitutional offices.
3. (3) Reference Acts 2005, No. 918.