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U.S. Attorneys' Manual

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U.S. Attorneys' Manual
EOUSA Resource Manual

124. Preparing Records for Transfer to the Federal Records Center (FRC)

Federal Records Center (FRC) procedures, posted on the National Archives and Records Center's website, are to be used in conjunction with EOUSA's Records and Information Management Staff guidance, when preparing records for transfer. FRC boxes must be used to transfer standard size records. Contact the FRC for assistance when non-standard records need to be transferred. Pack records in a logical sequence, and use a locator system (preferably, the LIONS database) to ensure that individual files can be identified and withdrawn in the future. Prepare a box-by-box listing, to include, at a minimum, the case number and name(s) of the litigants. A copy of the box listing for each accession must accompany the Standard Form 135, Records Transmittal and Receipt, when it is sent to the FRC for approval. USAOs have been assigned a two-digit code which must be used on all SF-135s and all other forms used to request services from the FRC.

U.S. Attorneys' offices should contact the servicing FRC to obtain the latest NARA Field Bulletin, which provides information on services available from and describes procedures involving the FRC. USAOs must also use EOUSA procedures required for shipping records to the FRC, storage in the FRC, and destruction standards to be applied by the FRC. Do not pack records with different retention authorities or different disposal dates in the same box or accession. Papers in closed litigative case files that are duplicated in the records of Federal courts may be removed and destroyed. Closed case files should also be purged of duplicate copies, unnecessary documentation, routing slips that contain no relevant information, etc.

Transfer closed, eligible files to the FRC annually, or more frequently if necessary. Inactive and closed records that have exceeded the authorized retention period may not be transferred to the FRC, and should be destroyed by the office using the destruction standards published by the EOUSA. Any transfer to the FRC requires that the record have a minimum of one year remaining of the authorized retention period.

[updated December 2009] [cited in USAM 3-13.300]