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Massachusetts Archives

Administrative Procedures of the Records Conservation Board

General

  • The Records Conservation Board (Board) shall hold its regular meetings on the first Wednesday of each month, unless voted otherwise, and, when necessary, the Chair may call Special Meetings.
  • The meetings of the Board shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, with the Board having the option of suspending or amending the rules whenever it is deemed necessary.
  • A quorum of the Board shall comprise four (4) members of the Board or their designees, who may accomplish all business before the Board. If one or more member(s) recuse themselves there must still be a quorum.
  • The Board may request the presence at its meetings of any official or employee of the Commonwealth it considers may be helpful to its deliberations
  • For the purposes of these rules, whenever a vote is required to be taken, it is measured by the persons present and voting, and a quorum of votes is required. A member who recuses him/herself shall not be considered to be present and voting. For votes requiring a unanimous vote, with a member(s) abstaining there must be a quorum of other Board members otherwise present in addition to the abstaining members, to vote.
  • The Board shall comply with all provisions of the Open Meeting Law, M.G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25. During a State of Emergency or other emergency circumstances that prevent a quorum of the Board from convening in person, the Board shall follow the procedures set forth by the Governor or the Legislature that prescribe alternative means for meeting remotely and the guidance offered by the Attorney General’s Division of Open Government.
  • In such emergency circumstances, the Board shall announce at the beginning of any remote meeting: the authority under which the meeting is being so conducted; any Open Meeting Law procedures that have been allowably adjusted; and other disclaimers or announcements the Board deems appropriate. See Addendum for current language for virtual meetings.

Retention/Destruction/Transfer

  • Pursuant to Massachusetts General Law chapter 30, section 42, the Board shall establish schedules for the retention, destruction, and transfer to the archives of the records of state government that are no longer needed for current business. The primary schedule that collectively applies to state agencies shall be known as the Statewide Records Retention Schedule (SRRS). The Board shall further prescribe standard forms (RCB Forms), including but not limited to those by which agencies may seek approval to destroy records that are eligible for destruction, or transfer records to the State Archives. The Board may establish standards for the retention and maintenance of records, including electronically stored records, that shall be known as Records Retention Standards (RRS).
  • In order to be considered at a regular meeting of the Board, all RCB Forms must be received by the Secretary at least ten (10) business days prior to the day of the meeting. At the discretion of the Board, and upon recommendation of the Secretary, for the purposes of a particular meeting, and in emergencies and for good reason only, this rule may temporarily be waived by a majority vote of the Board present and voting at the regular meeting. In all but these extraordinary circumstances, whatever applications are included in the packet routinely sent to the Board in advance of a meeting will be considered the complete packet.
  • The Board may take under consideration and approve pen-and-ink changes to submitted RCB Forms to make these submissions consistent with the SRRS, or any other schedule previously approved by the Board. Pen-and-ink changes to pending RCB Forms made by either the Secretary or the Board shall be reported to the submitting agency, and the agency shall bear full responsibility for these changes. Record categories submitted on an RCB Form, the titles of which do not exactly match the SRRS, but which can be identified as records that are eligible for destruction because they have reached the minimum retention period listed on the RCB Form, shall not be changed by the Board.
  • From time to time, the Board may make changes to the SRRS, or any other schedule previously approved by the Board, either on its own accord, or by the request of an agency made in writing to the Secretary. Such request shall describe in detail the changes proposed and the reasons the changes are necessary and must be received by the Secretary at least ten (10) business days prior to the day of the meeting at which the agency wishes the request to be considered. Notice of proposed changes will appear as an agenda item. This rule cannot be waived for any reason.
  • The Board shall not consider any request to change the SRRS unless a representative of the submitting agency, with knowledge of the contents of the records involved, their use, and the operation of the agency, is present at the meeting at which the request is discussed.
  • Changes to either the content or format of the SRRS shall require a unanimous vote of the Board members present and voting at the regular meeting at which the changes are discussed. A member who abstains shall not be considered to be present and voting.
  • From time to time the Board may make changes to any previously established Records Retention Standards (RRS), either on its own accord, or by the request of a member made in writing to the Secretary. Changes will be added as an agenda item. Changes to either the content or format of any RRS shall require a unanimous vote of the Board members present and voting at the regular meeting at which the changes are discussed. A member who abstains shall not be considered to be present and voting. .

Addendum Language for Agenda for Virtual Meetings

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual meetings as alternative means were authorized by Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, M.G.L. c. 30A, s. 20, which were extended through Chapter 30 of the Acts of 2021, or as otherwise amended.

A quorum of Board members attending virtually will be required, and votes will be taken through roll call as is required by M.G.L. c. 30A ss. 18-25.

To prevent inappropriate intrusions into Board business, all public participants will be muted and participant video will not be enabled. The Board reserves the right to table any agenda related question for a future meeting discussion. Other questions that are raised that are not agenda related will automatically be tabled for a future meeting discussion if the Board determines appropriate.

If at any time there appears to be a security compromise or other intrusion or disruption of the meeting, the Board will immediately end the meeting and the agenda will be taken up at the next scheduled Board meeting. If technical difficulties arise that prevent Board members from being able to attend or that prevent the meeting from achieving a quorum or continuation of the meeting, the Board will close the meeting and the agenda will be taken up at the next scheduled Board meeting.

Attendees will enter a waiting room and will be admitted by the meeting host. Attendees other than Board members will be muted upon entrance.

Officers and Members

Elections

  • The Board shall elect a Chairperson (the “Chair”) to serve for a term of two years. The election shall take place biennially (every two years) at the regular Board meeting in April. A Board member may not be elected Chairperson two terms in a row.
  • The outgoing Chair shall assume the office of Vice Chairperson (the “Vice Chair”) for a period of two years to run concurrently with the newly elected Chair.
  • If a permanent vacancy occurs, or an officer of the Board is unable to serve for an extended period of time, the office shall run with the statutorily named member/agency and not the individual designee. In such cases the office shall be held by the agency’s alternate or substitute designee until the next regularly scheduled election.
  • In extraordinary circumstances, these election procedures may be temporarily waived by a unanimous vote of the Board.

Duties of Officers

  • The Chair shall set the Agenda for and preside over all meetings of the Board. The Chair shall ensure that the Open Meeting Law is followed and that order is maintained at all times.
  • The Vice Chair shall assist the Chair as needed and, in the absence of the Chair, preside over any such meeting of the Board. The Vice Chair shall assure that all designees and alternates have been appointed, and that all Open Meeting Law materials have been provided and certifications are signed and current.
  • The Secretary of the Board shall be the Archivist of the Commonwealth. The Secretary shall record and transfer into written form the Minutes of all meetings of the Board. The Secretary shall also be responsible for posting the Notice of Meeting, the Agenda, and the Minutes from the previous meeting, once approved by the Board, onto the designated website in a manner consistent with the Open Meeting Law. The Secretary shall be the Keeper of the Records for these and all other records maintained by the Board and, pursuant to G.L. c. 66, § 6A(a), be the Board’s Records Access Officer. Further, the Secretary shall be the Board’s Parliamentarian for questions concerning the proper procedures and rules to follow.

Members

  • In the event that a statutorily named member of the Board shall appoint a designee to serve in his/her stead, there shall be one named designee and any number of named alternate(s) per member.
  • Each designee and alternate to the Board shall submit to the Secretary a copy of his/her appointment letter within 30 days of appointment, or prior to or at any meeting at which that designee or alternate will vote on behalf of the named Board member, a copy which shall be kept in the official Board file.
  • Within two weeks of appointment, each designee and alternate to the Board shall submit to the Secretary a signed Open Meeting Law certification as required by G.L. c. 30A, § 20(h), which shall be kept in the official Board file. Such certification acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Open Meeting Law, regulations promulgated under G.L. c. 30A, § 25, and the educational materials prepared by the Attorney General explaining the Open Meeting Law and its application.