Records Management Handbook, Schedules, and Guidance
The paper version of the APHIS Records Management Handbook is no longer available. To better serve our customers, this Web site contains current schedules and information.
We recommend that you print or download only those chapters that apply to your program. Please check the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) website for the most recent changes to the records schedules.
Administrative and General Records Schedules
The APHIS schedules have been updated to reference the appropriate GRS wherever possible. The dispositions contained in the GRS are mandatory and take precedence over APHIS dispositions.
Retentions for "All other offices" is no longer listed. All non-record copies are treated as informational unless separately scheduled. Informational copies can be destroyed when no longer needed but cannot be retained beyond the retention period for the recordkeeping copies.
Related GRS
- General Records Schedule (NARA)
- Administrative Management
- Common Office Records
- Boards & Committees
The dispositions contained in the GRS are mandatory and take precedence over APHIS dispositions.
All non-record copies are treated as informational unless separately scheduled. Informational copies can be destroyed when no longer needed, but cannot be retained beyond the retention period for the recordkeeping copies.
- Audiovisual (AV) (29.99 KB) (PDF)
Related GRS
- General Records Schedule (NARA)
- Audiovisual
Several APHIS and General Records Schedules are listed.
PRP - Property and Procurement: This chapter from the APHIS Records Management Handbook contained several records series that were not related to one another. The PRP chapter is listed here to provide links to the new locations of the items previous included in the chapter.
The dispositions contained in the GRS are mandatory and take precedence over APHIS dispositions.
Retentions for "All other offices" is no longer listed. All non-record copies are treated as informational unless separately scheduled. Informational copies can be destroyed when no longer needed, but cannot be retained beyond the retention period for the recordkeeping copies.
- Budget (BUD) (22.13 KB)
- Fiscal (FIS) (24.1 KB)
- Procurement (PRP) (83.8 KB)
Related GRS
- General Records Schedule (NARA)
- Accountable Officers
- Budget Prep & Apportionment
- Expenditure Accounting
- Procurement, Grant & Supply
- Stores, Plant & Cost Accounting
Electronic Records pertains to records exported from databases.
IT Operations and Management covers records related to day-to-day activities of IT departments and systems. This includes help desk, tape backups, IT project contracts, and similar records.
CIO covers high-level IT items such as enterprise architecture, CIO committees, and capital investments. Two supplemental documents provide guidance (26.18 KB) and a FAQ (22.15 KB) on implementing the GRS.
The dispositions contained in the GRS are mandatory and take precedence over APHIS dispositions.
Retentions for "All other offices" is no longer listed. All non-record copies are treated as informational unless separately scheduled. Informational copies can be destroyed when no longer needed, but cannot be retained beyond the retention period for the recordkeeping copies.
- Paperwork & Data Managment (PDM) (74.32 KB)
Related GRS
- General Records Schedule (NARA)
- Electronic Records
- IT Operations & Management
- CIO Records
The dispositions contained in the GRS are mandatory and take precedence over APHIS dispositions. In some instances, a link is provided to the relevant GRS.
Retentions for "All other offices" is no longer listed. All non-record copies are treated as informational unless separately scheduled. Informational copies can be destroyed when no longer needed but cannot be retained beyond the retention period for the recordkeeping copies.
- Legislative & Legal (LEG) (31.85 KB)
The following series of items in the APHIS schedules are relevant to this topic:
ADM 7-2: Telephone
INF: Entire schedule
PDM 11: Mail Management
The dispositions contained in the GRS are mandatory and take precedence over APHIS dispositions.
Please note that the GRS Information Services includes dispositions for FOIA and Privacy Act records. These are more detailed than and take precedence over the items contained in the APHIS INF schedule.
Retentions for "All other offices" is no longer listed. All non-record copies are treated as informational unless separately scheduled. Informational copies can be destroyed when no longer needed, but cannot be retained beyond the retention period for the recordkeeping copies
- Administrative Management (ADM) (37.28 KB)
- Information (INF) (41.97 KB)
- Paperwork & Data Management (PDM) (74.32 KB)
Related GRS
- General Records Schedule (NARA)
- Communications
- Printing & Binding
- Information Services
The Personnel (PER) chapter of the Records Management Handbook is provided as a reference for staff familiar with it. Each item will refer you to other records series. The Personnel and Ethics GRS's have been fully adopted and are incorporated under this topic.
The most important types of records, the Official Personnel Folders, the Service Record Cards, and the Employee Medical Folders, are maintained according to The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping, an OPM manual that prescribes a system of recordkeeping for Federal personnel.
Instructions given are for record copies. All other copies are treated as informational unless separately scheduled. Informational copies cannot be retained beyond the retention period for the recordkeeping copies.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) (19.48 KB)
- Personnel (PER) (40.42 KB)
- Training (TRN) (33.07 KB)
Related GRS
- General Records Schedule (NARA)
- Personnel
- Ethics
- Health
- Hiring & Performance
- Payroll & T&A
The dispositions contained in the GRS are mandatory and take precedence over APHIS dispositions. In some instances, a link is provided to the relevant GRS.
Retentions for "All other offices" is no longer listed. All non-record copies are treated as informational unless separately scheduled. Informational copies can be destroyed when no longer needed, but cannot be retained beyond the retention period for the recordkeeping copies.
- Management Analysis & Review (MAR) (44.36 KB)
The dispositions contained in the GRS are mandatory and take precedence over APHIS dispositions.
Retentions for "All other offices" is no longer listed. All non-record copies are treated as informational unless separately scheduled. Informational copies can be destroyed when no longer needed but cannot be retained beyond the retention period for the recordkeeping copies.
- Property (PRP) (83.8 KB)
Related GRS
- General Records Schedule (NARA)
- Space & Maintenance
- Drawings & Photographs
- Housing
- Disposal
Security applies to documents, buildings and other facilities, and personnel clearances.
The dispositions contained in the GRS are mandatory and take precedence over APHIS dispositions. Links have been added to PRP to direct the reader to the applicable GRS.
Retentions for "All other offices" is no longer listed. All non-record copies are treated as informational unless separately scheduled. Informational copies can be destroyed when no longer needed, but cannot be retained beyond the retention period for the recordkeeping copies.
- Procurement (PRP) (83.8 KB)
Related GRS
- General Records Schedule (NARA)
- Security & Protective Services
Several items in the Property and Procurement (PRP) chapter apply to this topic. These include:
PRP 2-2 Motor Vehicle Reports
PRP 7 Transportation
PRP 11 Motor Vehicles
PRP 12 Aircraft Operation
PRP 13 Accidents
The dispositions contained in the GRS are mandatory and take precedence over APHIS dispositions. Links to the applicable GRS have ben added throughout the PRP document.
All non-record copies are treated as informational unless separately scheduled. Informational copies can be destroyed when no longer needed, but cannot be retained beyond the retention period for the recordkeeping copies.
- Property & Procurement (PRP) (83.8 KB)
- Travel (TRV) (13.7 KB)
Related GRS
- General Records Schedule (NARA)
- Motor Vehicles
- Travel & Transportation
Program Schedules, Management, and Storage
- Accredited Veterinarians
- Animal Care
- Animal Diseases
- Environmental Quality
- Export
- Import
- International Programs
- Interstate Inspection
- Lab Analysis and Testing
- Plant Pest
- Port Operations Inspection
- Program Investigations and Violations
- Quality Assurance
- Scientific Services
- Veterinary Biologic
- Wildlife Services (18.11 KB)
Help and References
Records management is everyone’s responsibility!
Anyone conducting business on behalf of the United States Government is responsible for understanding the records they are creating and the proper actions for maintaining and disposing of them. APHIS Information Management and Compliance (IMC) manages the APHIS Records Management Program and is available to provide records management training and advice.
IMC assists with determining what constitutes official records, and provides advice on setting up filing systems for accruing and storing records, establishing file plans and records schedules, coordinating destruction or storage with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and more. For further information, simply send an email to APHIS-Records@usda.gov.
To request training, send an email to APHIS-Records@usda.gov outlining the type and level of training needed, the audience, office location, preferred dates, and a point of contact. The requesting office is responsible for funding any travel-related expenses outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
The key to successful records management is having efficient records procedures in place that are fully integrated into your operations. IMC can help you work towards this goal.
- Chapter 1 - introduction
- Chapter 2 - responsibilities
- Chapter 3 - definitions
- Chapter 4 - electronic recordkeeping
- Chapter 5 - records disposition program
- Chapter 6 - files operations
- Chapter 7 - filing equipment and supplies
- Chapter 9 - files disposition - records scheduling
- Chapter 10 - retirement guidelines
- Chapter 11 - transfer, packing, shipping and storage of records
- Chapter 12 - micrographics
- Chapter 13 - security of classified material
- Chapter 14 - handling and safeguarding of administratively controlled documents
- Chapter 15 - handling of classified and unclassified material received from the foreign agricultural service (fas)
The links provided in this page will help you to understand records management and towards fulfilling your responsibilities as and APHIS employee or contractor.
Links in this section are pointers to other hosts and locations on the Internet. This information is provided as a service, however the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is not associated with or responsible for the content of these sites.
- APHIS Directives
- MRP Directives
- 3040.2 Records Management Program (15.57 KB) (PDF)
- 3040.3 Electronic Records Management Program (52.63 KB) (PDF)
- MRP Directives
- U.S.Code
- 5 U.S.C. Chapter 5, Subchapter II - Administrative Procedure
- § 552. Public information; agency rules, opinions, orders, records, and proceedings
(Freedom of Information Act, as amended) - § 552a. Records maintained on individuals
(Privacy Act of 1974, as amended) - § 553. Rule making
(Administrative Procedure Act)
- § 552. Public information; agency rules, opinions, orders, records, and proceedings
- 18 U.S.C. Chapter 101 - Records and Reports
- 18 U.S.C. Chapter 121 - Stored Wire and Electronic Communications and Transactional Records Access
(Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986) - 31 U.S.C. Chapter 11 - The Budget and Fiscal, Budget, and Program Information
(Budget and Accounting Procedures Act of 1950) - 40 U.S.C. Subtitle III - Information Technology Management
- 44 U.S.C. Chapter 21 - National Archives and Records Administration
- 44 U.S.C. Chapter 29 - Records Management by the Archivist of the United States and by the Administrator of General Services
- 44 U.S.C. Chapter 31 - Records Management by Federal Agencies
(Federal Records Act) - 44 U.S.C. Chapter 33 - Disposal of Records
- 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35 - Coordination of Federal Information Policy
(Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, as amended, Paperwork Reduction Reauthorization Act of 1995, and Government Paperwork Elimination Act)
- 5 U.S.C. Chapter 5, Subchapter II - Administrative Procedure
- Regulations
- 5 CFR Chapter III, Subchapter B - OMB Directives
- 36 CFR Chapter XII, Subchapter B - Records Management
- OMB Circulars
Records in any format, whether paper or electronic, by law must not be accrued and locally stored forever. In records management, determining record accrual, archival, and disposal procedures is called record scheduling.
All records must be scheduled and approved by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). This includes records accrued, entered into, processed in, and/or stored in electronic system databases.
If your electronic records are not scheduled, complete an MRP Form 400 (Employees Only ) and email it to the APHIS Records Manager at APHIS-Records@usda.gov to begin the approval process.
The key to successful records management is having efficient records procedures in place that are fully integrated into your operations. IMC can help you work towards this goal.
- Scanning Paper Records (117.72 KB)
Contact Us
Please direct questions or comments concerning forms, issuances, or records management to the Information Management Branch using the appropriate email below.
For inquiries about forms
(Note: questions about completing and submitting forms should be sent to the program office receiving the form.)