Creation and Authority

The State Records Commission was created and authorized by state law in 1955. See Code of Alabama 1975, Section 41-13-21; Section 41-13-25.

Composition

The State Records Commission consists of nine members, six of them are ex officio and the other three are appointed. The ex officio members include:

• Director of the Department of Archives and History, who serves as the chair of the commission
• Chief Examiner of the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts
• Attorney General
• Secretary of State
• Commissioner of the Department of Revenue
• Director of the Department of Finance

The appointed members include:

• One member from the University of Alabama (designated by the head of the Department of History)
• One member from Auburn University (designated by the head of the Department of History)
• One member from one of Alabama's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (appointed by the Governor)

Duties

The State Records Commission is charged with the following responsibilities:

• Conduct surveys of public records created by state agencies (Code of Alabama 1975, Section 41-13-24)
• Issue regulations classifying all public records and prescribing the period for which records of each class shall be retained (Code of Alabama 1975, Section 41-13-24)
• Determine which public records shall be perserved permanently because of historical value and which records may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of (Code of Alabama 1975, Sections 41-13-21)
• Approve records disposal requests submitted by state agencies prior to the records destruction (Code of Alabama 1975, Sections 41-13-21)