South Carolina § 30-1-100 - Additional powers and duties of Archives.

§ 30-1-100. Additional powers and duties of Archives.

(A) In cooperation with the executive officer of each public agency or body and the governing body of each subdivision, the Archives shall establish and maintain a program for the selection and preservation of public records considered essential to the operation of government, for the protection of the interests of the public, and for the preservation of the state's documentary heritage. The Archives has the authority to determine in what medium records or archival value must be retained and transferred to the department. Within the limits of available funds, the Archives shall require preservation duplicates to be made of essential or historical records including those retained on electronic or optical disc systems or designate as preservation duplicates existing copies of these records including security copies on microfilm, computer output microfilm, or other media acceptable by the department or select certain original records for permanent preservation.

(B) In order to make public records more available for research the Archives must honor reasonable requests for copies of public records of research value by reproducing and selling them as provided by Section 30-4-30. All monies received from the sale of such copies must be deposited with the State Treasurer to be used for making available copies of other public records of research value as determined by the Archives; provided, that their reproduction is not otherwise prohibited by law.

(C) Any public official having records and official correspondence in his custody may turn over to the Archives any public records no longer in current official use, and the Archives may in its discretion receive the records and provide for their proper administration, preservation, reproduction, or disposition; provided, that any record placed in the custody of the Archives under special terms or conditions restricting their use shall be made accessible only in accordance with such terms and conditions. Upon receipt of the records, unless otherwise prohibited by law, copies of them may be made and certified under the seal of Archives, which certification has the same force and effect as if made by the official or agency which transferred them. The Archives may charge reasonable fees for such copies.

(D) The Archives may promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of Sections 30-1-10 to 30-1-140. The director may withhold from public access records restricted under the provisions of Chapter 4 of this title or restrict use of original records in danger of damage or loss from handling and use when in the opinion of the director the physical condition of the public records or other documents is such that they would be damaged by handling. Any decision of the director to withhold public records or other documents from inspection may be appealed to the Archives and History Commission, or through the relief procedures outlined in Section 30-4-100.

(E) When any public records have been destroyed or otherwise disposed of in accordance with the procedure authorized in Sections 30-1-90 and 30-1-110, any liability that the custodian of the records might incur as a result of the official action shall cease.

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 1-590; 1973 (58) 350; 1990 Act No. 546, SECTION 1.