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Title 44, Public Printing and DocumentsRelease 119-102

§2905 Establishment of Standards for Selective Retention of Records; Security Measures

Title 44 › CHAPTER 29 — RECORDS MANAGEMENT BY THE ARCHIVIST OF THE UNITED STATES AND BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERVICES › § 2905

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Archivist must make rules for keeping records that should be kept long-term and help federal agencies follow those rules. If the Archivist learns of any real, likely, or threatened illegal taking, damage, change, or destruction of an agency’s records, the Archivist must tell the agency head, help start recovery or other legal action with the Attorney General, and if the agency does not act in a reasonable time, ask the Attorney General to act and notify Congress when that request is made. The Archivist must also help the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs study and create standards about record-retention rules that federal agencies place on the public and on state and local governments.

Full Legal Text

Title 44, §2905

Public Printing and Documents, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Archivist shall establish standards for the selective retention of records of continuing value, and assist Federal agencies in applying the standards to records in their custody. The Archivist shall notify the head of a Federal agency of any actual, impending, or threatened unlawful removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records in the custody of the agency that shall come to the Archivist’s attention, and assist the head of the agency in initiating action through the Attorney General for the recovery of records unlawfully removed and for other redress provided by law. In any case in which the head of the agency does not initiate an action for such recovery or other redress within a reasonable period of time after being notified of any such unlawful action, the Archivist shall request the Attorney General to initiate such an action, and shall notify the Congress when such a request has been made.
(b)The Archivist shall assist the Administrator for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in conducting studies and developing standards relating to record retention requirements imposed on the public and on State and local governments by Federal agencies.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., § 395(b) (June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title V, § 505(b), as added Sept. 5, 1950, ch. 849, § 6(d), 64 Stat. 583).

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–187 substituted “The Archivist shall notify” for “He shall notify” and “the Archivist’s attention” for “his attention”. 1984—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–497, § 107(b)(15)(B), substituted “Archivist” for “Administrator of General Services”. Pub. L. 98–497, § 203(a), inserted “In any case in which the head of the agency does not initiate an action for such recovery or other redress within a reasonable period of time after being notified of any such unlawful action, the Archivist shall request the Attorney General to initiate such an action, and shall notify the Congress when such a request has been made.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–497, § 107(b)(15)(B), substituted “Archivist” for “Administrator of General Services”. 1980—Pub. L. 96–511 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–497 effective Apr. 1, 1985, see section 301 of Pub. L. 98–497, set out as a note under section 2102 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1980 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–511 effective on Apr. 1, 1981, see section 5 of Pub. L. 96–511, set out as a note under section 2904 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

44 U.S.C. § 2905

Title 44, Public Printing and Documents

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102