Section 50-18-94. Duties of agencies

   It shall be the duty of each agency to:

   (1) Cause to be made and preserved records containing adequate and proper documentation of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, and essential transactions of the agency and designed to furnish the information necessary to protect the legal and financial rights of the government and of persons directly affected by the agency's activities;

   (2) Cooperate fully with the division in complying with this article;

   (3) Establish and maintain an active and continuing program for the economical and efficient management of records and assist the division in the conduct of records management surveys;

   (4) Implement records management procedures and regulations issued by the division;

   (5) Submit to the division, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the division, a recommended retention schedule for each record series in its custody, except that schedules for common-type files may be established by the division. No records will be scheduled for permanent retention in an office. No records will be scheduled for retention any longer than is absolutely necessary in the performance of required functions. Records requiring retention for several years will be transferred to the records center for low-cost storage at the earliest possible date following creation;

   (6) Establish necessary safeguards against the removal or loss of records and such further safeguards as may be required by regulations of the division. The safeguards shall include notification to all officials and employees of the agency that no records in the custody of the agency are to be alienated or destroyed except in accordance with this article; and

   (7) Designate an agency records management officer who shall establish and operate a records management program.

Ga. L. 1972, p. 1267, § 5; Ga. L. 1975, p. 675, §§ 4, 5; Ga. L. 1978, p. 1372, § 2; Ga. L. 2002, p. 532, § 26.