§2906 — Title 44 Public Printing and Documents | U.S. Code

Summary

The Archivist (or someone the Archivist picks) may look at any federal agency’s records and how the agency manages them. The Archivist can give advice on improving recordkeeping and decide if records are worth keeping or can be discarded. Agency officers and employees must help with these inspections, except as limited below. Records that are restricted by law, national security, or the public interest can only be checked under rules the Archivist creates and only with the approval of the agency head or the President. If a checked record is part of a system covered by 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Archivist must either keep it as part of a system of records or treat it that way for purposes of subsections (b), (c), and (i) of 552a. When inspecting records, the Archivist must follow all other federal laws and can face the same penalties those laws impose. The Administrator (or the Administrator’s designee) may inspect federal agencies’ mail processing to offer improvement suggestions, and agency staff must cooperate.

Title 44, §2906

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(a)(1)In carrying out the duties and responsibilities under this chapter, the Archivist (or the the 11 So in original. Archivist’s designee) may inspect the records or the records management practices and programs of any Federal agency for the purpose of rendering recommendations for the improvement of records management practices and programs and for determining whether the records of Federal agencies have sufficient value to warrant continued preservation or lack sufficient value to justify continued preservation. Officers and employees of such agencies shall cooperate fully in such inspections, subject to the provisions of paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection.

(2)Records, the use of which is restricted by law or for reasons of national security or the public interest, shall be inspected, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Archivist, subject to the approval of the head of the agency concerned or of the President.

(3)If the Archivist (or the Archivist’s designee) inspects a record, as provided in this subsection, which is contained in a system of records which is subject to section 552a of title 5, such record shall be—

(A)maintained by the Archivist or such designee as a record contained in a system of records; or

(B)deemed to be a record contained in a system of records for purposes of subsections (b), (c), and (i) of section 552a of title 5.

(b)In conducting the inspection of agency records provided for in subsection (a) of this section, the Archivist (or the Archivist’s designee) shall, in addition to complying with the provisions of law cited in subsection (a)(3), comply with all other Federal laws and be subject to the sanctions provided therein.

(c)The Administrator (or the Administrator’s designee) may inspect the mail processing practices and programs of any Federal agency for the purpose of rendering recommendations for the improvement of mail processing practices and programs. Officers and employees of such agencies shall cooperate fully in such inspections of mail processing practices and programs.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 2906, Pub. L. 90–620, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1297, contained provisions similar to those comprising subsec. (a)(1) and (2) of this section, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 94–575, § 2(a)(3).

Amendments

2017—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–85, § 2(a)(3), added Pub. L. 113–187, § 9(d)(3). See 2014 Amendment note below. 2014—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113–187, § 9(d)(1)(A), substituted “the duties” for “their respective duties” and “the Archivist’s designee” for “designee of either”, struck out “the Administrator of General Services and” before “the Archivist” and “solely” after “any Federal agency”, and inserted “and for determining whether the records of Federal agencies have sufficient value to warrant continued preservation or lack sufficient value to justify continued preservation” after “for the improvement of records management practices and programs”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 113–187, § 9(d)(1)(B), struck out “the Administrator and” before “the Archivist” and “The

Regulations

promulgated by the Administrator and the Archivist under this paragraph shall, to the extent practicable, be identical.” at end. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 113–187, § 9(d)(1)(C), in introductory provisions, struck out “the Administrator or” before “the Archivist” and substituted “Archivist’s designee” for “designee of either” and, in subpar. (A), substituted “the Archivist” for “the Administrator, the Archivist,”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 113–187, § 9(d)(2), struck out “the Administrator and” before “the Archivist” and substituted “Archivist’s designee” for “designee of either”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 113–187, § 9(d)(3), as added by Pub. L. 115–85, § 2(a)(3), added subsec. (c). 1984—Pub. L. 98–497 inserted reference to Archivist in four places in subsecs. (a) and (b) and inserted at end of subsec. (b)(2) “The

Regulations

promulgated by the Administrator and the Archivist under this paragraph shall, to the extent practicable, be identical.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2017 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–85 effective as if included in Pub. L. 113–187, see section 2(b) of Pub. L. 115–85, set out as a note under section 2902 of this title.

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.

§2906 Inspection of Agency Records

Summary

Title 44, §2906

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Amendments

Regulations

Regulations

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata