36 CFR § 1222.34 - How must agencies maintain records?

Agencies must implement a records maintenance program so that complete records are filed or otherwise identified and preserved, records can be readily found when needed, and permanent and temporary records are physically segregated from each other or, for electronic records, segregable. Agency records maintenance programs must:

(a) Institute procedures for organizing and storing records;

(b) Maintain electronic, audiovisual and cartographic, and microform records in accordance with 36 CFR parts 1236, 1237, and 1238 of this subchapter, respectively;

(c) Assign responsibilities for maintenance of records in all formats within each agency component, including designation of the officials that are responsible for maintenance and disposition of electronic records and management of automated systems used for recordkeeping;

(d) Institute reference and retrieval procedures and controls that:

(1) Facilitate the finding, charging out, and refiling of records, including safeguards against loss during transit; and

(2) Ensure that access to electronic records minimizes the risk of unauthorized additions, deletions, or alterations;

(e) Issue appropriate instructions to all agency employees on handling and protecting records;

(f) Maintain records and nonrecord materials separately, in accordance with § 1222.16;

(g) Maintain personal files separately from records in accordance with § 1222.20; and

(h) Comply with 36 CFR parts 1232 and 1234 of this subchapter when storing records in a records facility.