Are you a new records management officer? Audit season getting you down? Just looking for some fun paperwork to do in your free time?
Like it or not, achieving and maintaining compliance with the Local Government Records Act (LGRA) has its benefits. It’s not just required: keeping your paperwork up to date is good emergency management, it demonstrates your ongoing commitment to records management, and it gives your TSLAC analyst the information they need to contact you.
Compliance requirements are split into two categories:
| Elected county officials (What counts as an elected official?) | All other local governments (What counts as a local government?) |
Elected Officials
This section covers elected county officials: County judges and commissioners, county and district clerks and attorneys, tax assessor-collectors, treasurers, justices of the peace, constables, and sheriffs.
Elected officials submit Form SLR 512
Form SLR 512 fulfills all filing requirements for elected officials:
- Adopt and file a written plan for records management.
- Decide whether to serve as Records Management Officer (RMO) or delegate duties to the countywide RMO.
- Declare compliance with TSLAC’s local retention schedules (read more in our Declaration of Compliance walkthrough).
Each incoming elected official should file Form SLR 512 within 30 days of taking office. A new form is not required when an official is re-elected.
All Other Governments (“Non-Elected”)
This section covers all governments other than elected county officials: counties, municipalities, school districts, appraisal districts, special-purpose districts, and more! Non-elected governments must fulfill three primary requirements:
1. Establish a records management program
The LGRA requires local governments to establish a records management program by order or ordinance, sometimes called a Records Management Policy (RMP). A template is available on our website. The RMP should be filed with meeting minutes or signatures from a local government’s governing body.
2. Designate a Records Management Officer (RMO)
The law requires two things of each local government:
A. Designation by Governing Body
The governing body must designate an RMO by name or position. The designation may be:
- Included in a Records Management Policy (RMP) that has been adopted by the governing body, OR
- Adopted as a separate order, ordinance, resolution, or agenda item at a meeting of the governing body.
In either case, file the above with meeting minutes or signatures from the governing body.
B. Successive RMO Updates
The local government must provide TSLAC the contact information for each successive RMO within 30 days of a personnel change.
- If the governing body has designated an RMO by position: File Form SLR 504 to update contact information or Form SLR 508 to update contact information and declare compliance with retention schedules (see Step 3).
- If the governing body has designated an RMO by name: Repeat the steps for “Designation by Governing Body” above. File Form SLR 504 to update contact information or Form SLR 508 to update contact information and declare compliance with retention schedules (see Step 3).
3. Declare compliance with TSLAC’s local retention schedules.
Non-elected local governments file Form SLR 508 to declare compliance with a selection of TSLAC’s 12 local government retention schedules. You can check out the local schedules online or read more in our Declaration of Compliance walkthrough.
Tips and Resources
- Make sure you’re filing the latest edition of each form.
- You can check with your analyst before bringing an RMP to your governing body.
- TSLAC only files the paperwork required by the LGRA, but your analyst would be happy to take a look at your internal schedules or procedures.
Note: This article only covers the requirements to file paperwork with TSLAC. The LGRA assigns local governments additional duties to carry out independently.
Feeling overwhelmed?
As much as we love paperwork, we know the compliance process is complex and many local government records managers have a full plate of responsibilities. We’re here to help! The analyst assigned to your county is waiting for your call.
