[Federal Register: March 8, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 45)]
[Notices]               
[Page 10764]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08mr04-120]                         

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NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION

 
Electronic Records Policy Working Group Request for Public 
Comment

AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Electronic Records Policy Working Group is inviting 
interested persons to provide their written views on issues relating to 
implementing section 207(e)(1)(A) of the E-Government Act of 2002. That 
section calls for “the adoption by agencies of policies and procedures 
to ensure that chapters 21, 25, 27, 29, and 31 of title 44, United 
States Code, are applied effectively and comprehensively to Government 
information on the Internet and to other electronic records.” The 
topics on which the Working Group is seeking comment and additional 
information about the Working Group are provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this notice.

DATES: To be considered, comments must be received no later than April 
5, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments to ERPWG@nara.gov or by fax to 301-837-
0319.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Electronic Records Working Group was established by the 
Interagency Committee on Government Information (ICGI), to fulfill the 
requirements of subsection 207(e) of the Act, “Public Access to 
Electronic Information.” The Working Group's members are drawn from a 
number of Federal agencies, with NARA as the chair. The Working Group 
will develop for the ICGI proposed recommendations on records 
management policies and procedures. The Working Group has held several 
focus groups with interested stakeholders from Federal agencies, public 
interest groups, and professional organizations and will hold a public 
meeting on March 30, 2004 (see 69 FR 9855, March 2, 2004) to gather 
input to inform their recommendations. In order to solicit the opinions 
of stakeholders who could not attend one of these meetings, the Working 
Group is providing this opportunity to comment.

Issues for Comment

    The Working Group is seeking feedback on the following topics in 
their meetings and this notice.
    1. The definition of “Government information on the Internet and 
other electronic records.” The operating definitions currently used by 
the Working Group are as follows:
    A. Government information on the Internet includes:
    • Information posted on Government web sites,
    • Information exchanged between Federal agencies,
    • Information exchanged between Federal agencies 
and the public,
    • Information exchanged between Federal agencies 
and other governments,
    • Government-enabled web services,
    • Standard government forms,
    • E-government business transactions.
    B. Other electronic records--electronic information meeting the 
definition of a Federal record per 44 U.S.C. 3301. Records include:
    • All books, papers, maps, photographs, machine 
readable materials, or other documentary materials,
    • regardless of physical form or characteristics,
    • made or received by an agency of the United 
States Government,
    • under Federal law or,
    • in connection with the transaction of public 
business,
    • and preserved or appropriate for preservation by 
that agency or its legitimate successor,
    • as evidence of the organization, functions, 
policies, decisions, procedures, operations or other activities of the 
Government or,
    • because of the informational value of the data 
in them (44 U.S.C. 3301).
    2. Perceived barriers to effective management of “Government 
information on the Internet and other electronic records.” The 
operating definition of effective management currently used by the 
Working Group includes:
    • Managing through the life cycle,
    • Providing for accessibility and retrieval,
    • Providing sufficient security,
    • Ensuring consistency (ability to reproduce 
record),
    • Providing for the integrity of records over 
time,
    • Ensuring no loss of records,
    • Ensuring compatibility with standard formats,
    • Managing format changes over time,
    • Providing for long-term record storage and 
migration of formats,
    • Managing the location of records over time,
    • Cost effective,
    • Appropriate long-term custodianship.
    3. Guidance tools for Federal agencies that would assist in 
overcoming the identified barriers.

    Dated: March 2, 2004.
Lewis J. Bellardo.
Deputy Archivist of the United States.
[FR Doc. 04-5091 Filed 3-5-04; 8:45 am]

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