Section 100-RICR-40-05-1.4 - DefinitionsA. For the purpose of this Regulation: 1. "Agency" means any department, division, board, commission, office, or quasi-public corporation under any branch of State or local government which performs functions relating to government or acts on behalf of a governmental agency.2. "Born digital" means Records that are created using computers or other electronic or processing devices.3. "Certification of records destruction" and "Certification of emergency records destruction" means the form approved by the Agency Head or their designee and the State Archivist and/or Public Records Administrator, authorizing the destruction of a Record and serving thereafter as the valid and legal substitute for the destroyed Record following destruction or other permitted disposition.4. "Conversion" means the transfer of digital data to an alternate or revised digital format, particularly but not limited to converting data from an obsolete format to a current format.5. "Digital records preservation strategy" means a plan developed and delivered by an Agency to the Public Records Administration prior to executing a Digitizing project.6. "Digitizing" means the conversion of physical documents into a digital/electronic format.7. "Disposal" or "Disposition" means the final destruction of records, as determined by an applicable Records Control Schedule, or transfer of records of historical value to the State Archives for permanent storage.8. "Electronic mail" or "email" means any message or correspondence created, sent, or received within an electronic mail/email system which concerns public business, demonstrates agency business, or serves a public function.9. "Electronic record" means all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, photographs, films, sound recordings, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data processing records, computer stored data, including email messages, or other non-physical materials or media digitally created or scanned into digital form.10. "General officer" means an official appointed for a term of office specified by the constitution or a statute of this State or who is appointed by or through the governing body or highest official of State government;11. "Local Government Records Program" means the unit within the Public Records Administration which shall be primarily responsible for assisting cities and towns with the care and management of their public records. The program shall be charged with designing and implementing a training program for local government records keepers; publishing retention schedules for the proper disposition of public records in local governments in adherence to § 1.6 of this Part; and providing technical and advisory assistance in the storage, preservation, and ongoing maintenance of the records of local governments.12. "Microfilm" means transparent film containing highly reduced copies of documents.13. "Personal paper(s)" means documents unrelated to work but maintained at a place of work by an employee or general officers of the State government of Rhode Island as established in R.I. Gen. Laws §42-8.12(10).14. "Public record(s)" or "Record(s)" means all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, or other materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, which are created or received by an Agency, office, or general officer, either pursuant to law or relating to the transaction of public business, and which serve as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the Agency or otherwise contain official government data.15. "Public Records Administration" means the function of government established by R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-3-1et seq. (the Public Records Administration Act), as supervised, directed and coordinated by the Public Records Administrator.16. "Record copy" means the record that an Agency designates as the official record for legal and business purposes, and to which the Agency applies records management policy measures for the protection, security, maintenance and/or preservation thereof.17. "Record series" means a collection of records maintained as a group and derived from or related to a particular subject, activity or function of an Agency.18. "Records control schedule" or "Records retention schedule" means the document or documents establishing the official retention, maintenance, and disposal requirements for a record or record series, based upon any administrative, legal, fiscal, and/or historical value related to that record or record series.19. "Records officer" means the representative designated by the Agency head who is responsible for the operation of the records management program for the Agency and related communications with the Public Records Administration.20. "Retention" means the duration of time that a record, record series, or other information shall be maintained.21. "Scanning" means the process by which physical documents are digitally imaged, including without limitation electronic .pdf and .tiff files.22. "State Archives" means the official State repository for records of longterm or permanent legal or historical value.23. "State Records Center" means the program managed by the Public Records Administration for the storage and maintenance of Agency records.24. "Violation" means any act of non-compliance with these Regulations and the applicable laws of the State of Rhode Island.100 R.I. Code R. 100-RICR-40-05-1.4
Amended effective 12/3/2018
Amended effective 12/22/2022