Effective October 1, 2018, The Federal Records Centers Program Will Begin Charging Higher Storage Fees for Unscheduled Records, Temporary Records Past Their Disposal Date, and Permanent Records Past Their Accessioning Date
July 6, 2018
To Our Valued Customer:
In an effort to address unresolved dispositions and the cost of managing records past due for disposal, effective October 1, 2018, the federal records centers program will begin charging higher storage fees for unscheduled records, temporary records past their disposal date, and permanent records past their accessioning date.
Goal 2.5 of the Managing Government Records Directive established the target of December 31, 2016 to ensure records schedules have been submitted to NARA for all existing paper and other non-electronic records. In an effort to address remaining unscheduled records, NARA will implement higher storage fees for all formats and classifications of unscheduled records.
Since the Department of Justice lifted of the Tobacco Litigation freeze in December 2015, NARA has worked with agency customers to address the backlog of past due disposals of temporary records. While much progress has been made, approximately 1.5 million cubic feet of agency records remain past due for disposal. Higher storage fees will apply only to transfers for which we have received no response to a disposal notice. To allow agencies sufficient time to authorize disposals prior to implementation of the higher rate, all transfers that reverted back to ‘shelved’ status due to non-response of two years have been added to the July 2018 ‘catch-up’ cycle. Disposal notices for these transfers were reissued on or about April 1, 2018. Disposal notices for transfers with the current status of ‘disposition generated’ which have been previously sent will not be reissued. Agencies can request replacements through their Account Manager if needed. Through this effort, agencies will have the opportunity to respond to all past due disposal before next fiscal year at which time transfers not approved for disposal are liable for the higher fee.
Transfers that are part of the permanent records Annual Move process, have the status of ‘accession generated,’ and which have not progressed past the Draft stage in the Electronic Records Archives (ERA) will also be subject to the higher fee on October 1st. All other past due permanent transfers will be allotted to future Annual Moves where a non-response will prompt the higher fee the following fiscal year. Agencies may always make direct offers of permanent transfers in ERA.
At this time, storage fees for frozen temporary records and records with disposition holds, such as Deferred Reappraisal Pending and Pending Agency Action, are not impacted.
As discussed at the October 2017 Bimonthly Records and Information Discussion Group (BRIDG) meeting, the monthly rate increase for unscheduled records and temporary records past due for disposal will range between $.10 -$.11 per cubic foot depending on the type of storage required. We have enclosed a copy of Attachment C (Rates) sent with your current Inter Agency Agreement. The higher fees for unscheduled and records past due for disposal will apply to all existing records stored within the Federal Records Centers Program as of October 1, 2018 and all records that fall into either of these categories going forward.
If you have questions, please contact your Account Manager. We appreciate your continued support of NARA’s Federal Records Centers Program and we look forward to continuing our relationship as we build on our shared commitment to Federal records management.
Sincerely,
/David M. Weinberg/
David M. Weinberg
Director, Federal Records Centers Program
Enclosure