§2906 Inspection of Agency Records

Summary

The Archivist or someone the Archivist appoints may inspect any federal agency’s records and records programs. The goal is to suggest how to make records management better and to decide if records should be kept or can be discarded. Agency officers and employees must cooperate with these inspections. Records that are restricted by law, for national security, or for the public interest can only be inspected under rules the Archivist makes and with the approval of the agency head or the President. If an inspected item is part of a records system covered by section 552a of title 5, it must be treated as a system record or be treated that way for parts (b), (c), and (i) of that law. The Archivist must follow all other federal laws when inspecting records and can be subject to penalties under those laws. The Administrator, or someone the Administrator appoints, may inspect any federal agency’s mail processing practices to recommend improvements, and agency staff must cooperate with those inspections.