Bill > S2207

This bill introduces new provisions for information governance in Massachusetts, primarily focusing on defining and implementing comprehensive information management protocols for government agencies and municipalities. The bill first amends existing law to clarify that documents protected by attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine are exempt from public disclosure. More substantially, it requires all agencies and municipalities to create and maintain an "Information Governance" (IG) plan, which is a detailed set of protocols for managing documents and data across all formats. The IG plan must include specific guidelines for storage, naming, privacy, security, routine disposal, and data sharing, and must comply with the state records retention schedule maintained by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. While the IG plan itself is considered a public record, sensitive portions that are legally exempt from disclosure can be redacted. The Attorney General is designated to enforce these new information governance requirements, which aim to improve the systematic management, retention, and potential disposal of government documents and data.