Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 541 - MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
Chapter 8 - PUBLIC RECORDS AND FAIR INFORMATION PRACTICES
Rule 541-8.2 - Public record retention and access

(1) Record policy. The department of management is committed to ensuring that the workings of the department are open to public inspection. To that end, a public record in the custody of the department will be maintained and archived through a standard record retention policy, with public access to be given in full compliance with applicable provisions of law.

The record retention program will provide economy and efficiency in the creation, organization, administrative use, maintenance, security, availability, and disposition of public records to ensure that a needless record will not be created or retained, and a valuable record will be preserved, as provided under Iowa law. The department will preserve the integrity of public records, and reply to all open records requests in a timely, responsive, and efficient manner in full compliance with applicable provisions of law.

(2) Record retention requirements. Every record made or received under the authority of, or coming into the custody, control, or possession of, department of management personnel, in connection with the transaction of official business of state government, and that has sufficient legal, fiscal, administrative, or historical value will be retained in accordance with Iowa law. The director of the department of management will designate a records retention officer to oversee the department's record retention program and to serve as the primary point of contact with the state archives.

The department will follow the records retention protocol that is established by the Iowa records retention commission. The department of management records retention officer will select retention mechanisms that are designed to implement the commission protocol and arrange for training for the department's personnel on each selected mechanism.

(3) Confidential records. Confidential records may be withheld, and confidential information within an otherwise open record may be redacted, prior to a record's release for public examination and copying. If a confidential record is withheld from examination and copying, or confidential information within an otherwise open record is redacted, the department of management will identify the document(s) and cite the applicable provision of law that supports the decision to withhold the confidential information from public examination.