The State Records Commission (SRC) met on October 30, 2019 at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. The Code of Alabama 1975 § 41-13-21 charges the Commission with determining “which government records shall be permanently preserved…and which may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of.” The Commission meets every April and October to approve Records Disposition Authorities, or RDAs. These documents outline all records that state agencies create, identify which records should be preserved permanently, and provide disposition procedures for all other records.
State Agency Outreach and Training
Records Management staff reported on state agency consultation and training sessions and permanent records transmittals to the Alabama Department of Archives and History. In fiscal year 2019, Records Management staff held a total of 62 outreach sessions with 170 attendees. Meeting topics included RDA development and revision, records management training, and permanent records transmittal.
A few highlights include:
- November 2018: Records Management staff met with the staff from the Alabama Department of Commerce to develop an internal records management policy and conduct training.
- February 2019: Records Management staff provided records management training for Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth’s staff.
- March 2019: Records Management staff and ADAH Director Steve Murray met with staff from the Department of Mental Health to discuss the transmittal of permanent records to the Archives, including seven large ledger books containing the handwritten entries of patients admitted to Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, from 1861 to 1952.
- June – July 2019: Records Management staff conducted 13 meetings with various divisions of the Alabama Office of Information Technology (OIT) to develop a new RDA for the agency.
Permanent Record Transmittal
In fiscal year 2019, 20 state agencies transmitted a total of 528 cubic feet of permanent paper records to the ADAH, spanning from the year 1861 to the year 2019. That’s roughly enough records to fill:
- 264 bankers boxes or legal-sized file drawers
- 528 copy paper boxes
- An 8’ x 8’ x 8’ bouncy castle
- A 4,000-gallon swimming pool
The chart below shows the “Top Ten Transmitters” of fiscal year 2019 and the amount of paper records they transmitted in cubic feet.
The majority of the Legislative Services Agency’s transmittals included Budget Change Records, Legislative Fiscal Notes Files, and Fiscal Reference Files. The Office of the Secretary of State transmitted, among other record types, 42 cubic feet of Tract Books and 18 cubic feet of Bills and Resolutions. Transmittals from the Alabama Department of Archives and History consisted primarily of State and Local Government Agency Files. Yes, you read correctly – we transmit our permanent records to ourselves!
Two other notable transmittals are the Office of Governor Fob James, which transmitted 7 cubic feet of photographs from his administration, and the State Council on the Arts, which transmitted 18 cubic feet of Field Recordings. Read all about how we processed these audiovisual recordings in our blog post, “Preserving Alabama’s Musical Heritage: The Alabama State Council on the Arts Processing Project.”
New and Revised State Agency RDAs
The State Records Commission approved new or revised RDAs for the following agencies:
Home Builders Licensure Board (Major RDA Revision)
The Home Builders Licensure Board screens and licenses applicants who engage in residential construction and remodeling in the state of Alabama where the cost of the undertaking exceeds $10,000 and applicants who engage in residential roofing in the state of Alabama where the cost of the undertaking exceeds $2,500.
Alabama Act 2018-143, effective May 1, 2018, authorized the Home Builders Licensure Board to license roofers in addition to home builders. The RDA has been revised to reflect the board’s expanded regulatory scope.
Alabama Board for Registered Interior Designers (Major RDA Revision)
The Alabama Board for Registered Interior Designers governs the registration process for interior designers, who analyze, plan, design, document, and manage interior non-structural construction and alteration projects. Interior designers submit construction documents for commercial interior projects to building officials for review and permitting purposes.
The RDA has been revised to include the outcome of Alabama v. Lupo, an Alabama Supreme Court case which required the board’s governing legislation to be rewritten. Licensees of the Alabama Board for Registered Interior Designers are known as “registered interior designers,” in contrast to interior decorators, who focus primarily on aesthetics and do not participate in renovations or structural planning.
Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences (Major RDA Revision)
The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences investigates unlawful, suspicious, or unnatural deaths and crimes in the state. The department provides forensic test results to members of the criminal justice system, such as Sheriffs’ Offices, in all 67 counties of Alabama.
The RDA has been revised to include mention of databases, including a federal database and in-house case management system, and to better describe several temporary record types.
Alabama Office of Information Technology (New RDA)
The Office of Information Technology (OIT)streamlines the delivery of information technology services in state government. OIT focuses on three primary mandates: IT strategic planning, IT governance, and IT resource utilization.
This RDA is new, and its listed agency subfunctions include “Promulgating Rules and Regulations,” “Planning and Promoting,” “Providing Services,” and “Inventorying.” The agency’s permanent records are associated with the agency’s role as the state’s central regulatory body for information technology and responsibility to inventory information technology assets.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of State Records Commission will be held on April 22, 2020 in the Regions Room at the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
For the Record 