Bill > H5451

This bill updates Rhode Island's Public Records Administration Act to modernize how state and local government agencies manage, preserve, and dispose of public records. The legislation expands definitions to include electronic records and establishes clearer procedures for records management, including creating new roles like a records officer for each agency who will be responsible for managing their organization's records. The bill requires agencies to work with the public records administrator to create and update records control schedules, transfer permanent records to the state archives after 20 years, and submit records destruction certifications. Key provisions include establishing a comprehensive records management program, providing training for local government records keepers, creating standards for record-keeping, and mandating that a yearly compliance report be submitted to the general assembly. The bill also empowers the administrator to seek legal action to enforce compliance and includes a severability clause to ensure that if part of the law is found invalid, the rest remains in effect. The changes aim to improve government transparency, ensure proper preservation of important documents, and create more efficient record-keeping practices across Rhode Island's governmental agencies.

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