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State Records Board - Operations

The State Records Board meets quarterly (generally the second Thursdays of January, April, July, and October) to approve new or revised retention and disposition schedules for state agencies and to act upon any other business brought before it. The meetings of the State Records Board are subject to the Open Meetings Act (K.S.A. 75-4317) and, thus, are open to the public. Information about meeting times and locations may be obtained from the State Archives or the Records Management Section of the State Archives Division, Kansas State Historical Society at (785) 272-8681.

The staff of the State Archives' Records Management Section works with state departments and agencies to prepare retention and disposition schedules for each agency. The recommendations for keeping some types of records permanently, for destroying other records after a fixed time period, and for transferring non-current records to the State Records Center for fixed periods of time before their destruction or transfer to the State Archives are reviewed by the state agency's staff, including legal counsel, and by the State Archives staff. The records retention and disposition schedule is then submitted to the State Records Board. Agency staff attend the meeting at which their schedule is being considered to answer questions about specific record series or other inquiries from board members. In addition, K.S.A. 75-3503 authorizes an agency submitting a records schedule entry or entries to the State Records Board to designate two individuals to act as ex officio members of the board; the ex-officio members can vote when the board considers their agency's proposed schedule. The board approves the schedule as presented, with modifications, or tables a specific schedule entry pending the gathering of additional information.

Approved schedule entries are filed with the Secretary of State and, without further action by the State Records Board, agencies may implement the schedule entries. Any modification of the retention and disposition requirements for a specific record series or a number of records series must be approved by the State Records Board. Retention and disposition requirements for new records series that were not being created when the schedule was approved must also be submitted to the board.

It is the goal of the State Records Board that all records created or received by state departments or agencies in the course of their public duties be covered by either the General Records Retention and Disposition Schedule or a schedule specific to the agency. Records must be scheduled before they may be housed at the State Records Center.

Requests to dispose of records (either by destruction or transfer to the State Archives) that are not scheduled must be submitted to the State Records Board for approval. These requests, which are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, must be submitted to the board in writing through a letter or memo to its secretary, the State Archivist.

Write to:

State Archivist
Library and Archives Division
Kansas State Historical Society
6425 SW 6th Ave.
Topeka, KS 66615-1099

The request should be submitted to the board at least 20 working days prior to the date of the meeting. A standard records survey form, available from the Kansas State Historical Society, may be used to describe the records under consideration. If a survey form is not used the request should include the following information:

  • A clear description of the records involved.
  • Their informational content.
  • The beginning dates of the records involved.
  • The quantity of material involved.
  • The proposed disposition.
  • The reason for submitting the request at this time.

The staff of the Records Management Section may choose to review the materials in person or through discussions with agency staff members. Records management staff will prepare an appraisal report for the State Records Board with their recommendations concerning approval, disapproval, or modification--thus the lead time recommended. The board may accept later submissions of requests in emergencies. Staff will work with agencies to develop the request for disposition authorizations for records not scheduled.