25 CAR § 60-103 – General Schedule (GS) 01 — General administrative records

(a) This category includes records regarding state agency policies, activities, and actions, including:
1. (1) Information releases;
2. (2) Public information;
3. (3) Office files; and
4. (4) Requests for information.
(b)
1. (1) The following record retention periods reflect the retention and disposition of the official record regardless of media.
2. (2) Copies used for specific legal, fiscal, or administrative purposes may be either:
  1. (A) Retained using the retention for the official version; or
  2. (B) Scheduled separately if a different retention is required.

(c) Copies of these documents preserved only for convenience of reference or informational purposes may be discarded when no longer needed.

Record Number & Category Title	Description	Minimum Retention Period
GS 01001Agency Directives, Internal Policies and Procedures	Manuals, general guidelines, or similar records distributed internally for the use of employees that sets out agency policies and procedures and do not affect the private rights or procedures available to the publicAny agency record that officially initiates, rescinds, or amends internal policies or procedures that are applicable to Arkansas agencies, boards, commissions	Until superseded plus 3 years
GS 01002Complaint Records	Formal complaint documents received by an agency from the public concerning general operations of the agency or its employees, and records pertaining to the resolution of the complaint	3 years after the final disposition of the complaintIf a complaint becomes the subject of litigation, which involves the agency receiving the complaint, it must be included in and is subject to the minimum retention period of a litigation record - Refer to GS 06006 within this schedule.
GS 01003Correspondence – Substantive	Communication that has significant administrative value and pertains to the implementation or modification of an agency’s administrative operations, rules, or policies and procedures that govern the agency.Examples include but are not limited to the following: Correspondence record that announces reports, decisions, or recommendations implemented in agency businessCorrespondence that is essential to supporting a final decision related to the formulation, implementation or modification of an agency’s administrative operations, rules, procedures, or policiesExecutive-level correspondence record regarding state agency policies and proceduresExecutive-level correspondence record announcing a new internal policy to agency staff Note: An attachment or enclosure within a correspondence record should be evaluated separately for its respective retention period.	4 yearsThis records category should be used only for correspondence that is not included in or directly related to another records series in this scheduleNote: Retention of E-mail correspondence is decided by the CONTENT not the medium of the record.
Record Number & Category Title	Description	Minimum Retention Period
GS 01004Correspondence – Non-Substantive	Communication that conveys information of temporary business importance or unremarkable communication concerning day-to-day office administration and activities. Examples include but are not limited to the following: Correspondence that includes information not attempting to influence state policyAn e-mail message sent to a large number of people, at the same time, via an e-mail distribution list software application (i.e. listserv message).Agency event notices A correspondence record notifying employees of an upcoming meeting would only have value until the meeting has been attended or the employee receiving the message has marked the date and time in his/her calendar Routine requests for publications records Incoming letters or memoranda of transmittal that add nothing of substance to enclosures Note: An attachment or enclosure within a correspondence record should be evaluated separately for its respective retention period.	Record may be destroyed after it has served its intended purpose or is no longer of administrative value to the agencyNote: Retention of E-mail correspondence is decided by the CONTENT not the medium of the record.
GS 01005News or Press Releases	News or press release issued by the agency	1 Year
GS 01006Publications, State	A record that is produced by the authority of or at the total or partial expense of a state agency or is required to be distributed under law by the agency and is publicly distributed. One copy of each state publication as defined above except a publication that is subject to a different retention period in this schedule. For example, information pamphlets or booklets.	Until the release of the next part in a series (i.e. serial publications issued in successive parts bearing numerical or chronological designations).If the publication is not part of a series: Until it has served its intended purpose.Consistent with Arkansas Code Annotated: § 13-2-201 Copies of state publications must be submitted to the Arkansas State Library for document types and exemptions. The Arkansas State Library retains copies of all state publications as the State Document Depository and the State and Local Government Publications Clearinghouse. Publications are subject to periodic evaluation to determine if the publication merits further retention.
GS 01007Presentations	Formal presentations delivered by the agency	1 year
GS 01008Papers and Reports	Papers or reports as published by the agency	4 years
GS 01009Training Materials	Instructional materials developed by, or for, an agency for training entities or individuals it regulates or serves	1 year after updated or after it has served its intended purpose
Record Number & Category Title	Description	Minimum Retention Period
GS 01010Strategic Plans	Agency/division strategic plans which would also include, but not be limited to, Disaster Preparedness/Recovery Plans, Business Continuity Plans, and Information Technology Plans	Until plan is replaced by an updated version plus 1 year.