Bill > SB1236

This bill, titled the State Records Management Act, revises and clarifies the responsibilities of state agency heads and the Secretary of State regarding the management and transfer of state records. Specifically, it updates existing law to better define how agency heads should manage their records for efficiency and accessibility, including ensuring collected information is useful to others and minimizing burdens on individuals and businesses. The bill also refines the process by which the Secretary of State determines if a record has archival value, meaning it's historically significant and should be preserved in the State Archives, and mandates that agencies notify the Secretary of State about any restrictions on public access to records transferred to the archives. Furthermore, agency heads will be required to justify and obtain approval from the Secretary of State for storing records for 50 years or more, and to appoint a Records Management Coordinator who will communicate with the Secretary of State's California Records and Information Management Program.