Us Code § 2905 - Establishment of standards for selective retention of records; security measures

Full text of Us Code United States Code § 2905 — Establishment of standards for selective retention of records; security measures, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 2905. Establishment of standards for selective retention of records; security measures

(a) The Archivist shall establish standards for the selective retention of records of continuing value, and assist Federal agencies in applying the standards to records in their custody. The Archivist shall notify the head of a Federal agency of any actual, impending, or threatened unlawful removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records in the custody of the agency that shall come to the Archivist's attention, and assist the head of the agency in initiating action through the Attorney General for the recovery of records unlawfully removed and for other redress provided by law. In any case in which the head of the agency does not initiate an action for such recovery or other redress within a reasonable period of time after being notified of any such unlawful action, the Archivist shall request the Attorney General to initiate such an action, and shall notify the Congress when such a request has been made.

(b) The Archivist shall assist the Administrator for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in conducting studies and developing standards relating to record retention requirements imposed on the public and on State and local governments by Federal agencies.

(Pub. L. 90–620, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1296; Pub. L. 96–511, §2(c)(2), Dec. 11, 1980, 94 Stat. 2825; Pub. L. 98–497, title I, §107(b)(15)(B), title II, §203(a), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2288, 2294; Pub. L. 113–187, §8(8), Nov. 26, 2014, 128 Stat. 2012.)

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., §395(b) (June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title V, §505(b), as added Sept. 5, 1950, ch. 849, §6(d), 64 Stat. 583).


Editorial Notes

Amendments

2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–187 substituted "The Archivist shall notify" for "He shall notify" and "the Archivist's attention" for "his attention".

1984—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–497, §107(b)(15)(B), substituted "Archivist" for "Administrator of General Services".

Pub. L. 98–497, §203(a), inserted "In any case in which the head of the agency does not initiate an action for such recovery or other redress within a reasonable period of time after being notified of any such unlawful action, the Archivist shall request the Attorney General to initiate such an action, and shall notify the Congress when such a request has been made."

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–497, §107(b)(15)(B), substituted "Archivist" for "Administrator of General Services".

1980—Pub. L. 96–511 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).


Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 98–497 effective Apr. 1, 1985, see section 301 of Pub. L. 98–497, set out as a note under section 2102 of this title.

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–511 effective on Apr. 1, 1981, see section 5 of Pub. L. 96–511, set out as a note under section 2904 of this title.

About This Section

44 U.S.C. § 2905 is part of Title 44 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.

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Sources

Source: official Us Code text · Last verified 2026-08-27

Frequently Asked Questions About Us Code § 2905

What does United States Code § 2905 cover?

Section 2905 ("Establishment of standards for selective retention of records; security measures") is part of the United States Code, the codified statutory law of Us Code. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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Sources & Verification

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