OAR 166-030-0060: Public Records Disposition and Destruction (State and Local Agencies)

A Special Schedule approved by the State Archivist, or an applicable General Schedule published in OAR Chapter 166, authorizes disposition of public records. Disposition includes: (1) Transfer to the custody of the State Archivist. When the scheduled retention period specifies transfer to the State Archives, an agency shall transfer its custody of the specified records to the custody of the State Archivist. (2) Shredding, Pulping, or Incineration. Public Records which are confidential by law and negotiable instruments (even when cancelled or satisfied in writing) must be destroyed by shredding, pulping, or incineration. The destruction should be supervised and witnessed by a responsible employee of the agency. When using a contractor to destroy public records, the state or local agency must require posting of a bond or undertaking by the contractor to indemnify the state or local agency against any claims or actions resulting from his failure to protect the confidentiality of the public records, and must require a provision precluding sale, transfer, or delivery of the public records to a third party prior to data obliteration. The agreement shall also include provisions requiring secure transit to and handling by the contractor; and prompt processing of the public records by the contractor to fully obliterate the data they contain by shredding, pulping, or incineration. (3) Recycling. Records which are not confidential by law may be sold or traded for recycling of the fiber or chemical they contain, provided that the sale or trade agreement includes provisions to ensure that the public records are promptly converted into a form which precludes use of the information they contain. (4) Deposit in a Library, Museum, or Historical Society with the permission of the State Archivist. The originals of public records that have been microfilmed in compliance with ORS 192.040 to 192.070 and OAR 166-025, and other public records which have continuing local historical value although destruction is authorized, may be deposited in a Library, Museum, or Historical Society if disclosure of the record is not prohibited by law and the depository agrees to comply with ORS 162.305, 192.420, and 192.430. Agreements for such deposits must stipulate that the depository cannot sell or otherwise dispose of the records except by lawful and complete destruction or by returning them to the depositing agency. Permission of the State Archivist is required prior to transfer of records. (5) Additional destruction requirements for electronic records are specified in OAR 166-017-0061.