This week we issued AC Memo 9.2015 reminding agencies about the need to notify NARA if they are going to be using their own authorities instead of the General Records Schedule (GRS). The communication extended the January 16, 2015, deadline in AC Memo 03.2015 to submit notifications to March 1, 2015.
There are consequences to not submitting a notification or requesting a further extension:
• Consequences to permanent authorities. If an agency has not submitted a notification or requested an extension and has a permanent disposition authority for records now scheduled as temporary by the GRS, it will either have to use the GRS or submit a new schedule. This includes big bucket items. Where this is going to come into play with the most recent transmittal is for grant case files, because the GRS now makes them temporary. Quite a few agencies have scheduled them as permanent.
• Consequences for big bucket schedules. It also could seriously affect agencies with big bucket schedules, although with temporary records it will only affect transfers to the FRCs. If they do not inform us they intend to use their big bucket items that incorporate GRS items they may find themselves having to resubmit schedules, which means unnecessary work for them and NARA, plus the expense of recoding Records Management Applications.
Additionally, NARA will be reviewing notifications and may choose to withdraw agency authorities if we find that the GRS should be applied instead of the agency’s authority. The review process may take up to 90 days or more for requests involving a difference in disposition (permanent vs. temporary). It should take less time for requests involving changes in retention period and requests to use temporary big bucket items. During the notification review period, accessions to the National Archives under the affected disposition authorities will not be processed.
Please contact GRS_Team@nara.gov to submit notifications, ask for an extension, or if you have any questions.