A representative appointed by the state auditor, the state archivist, and a representative appointed by the attorney general shall constitute a committee to be known as the local records committee. Reference: RCW 40.14.070.

The representative of the state auditor shall be ex officio chairperson of the local records committee. The representative appointed by the attorney general shall be vice chairperson. The state archivist shall act as secretary and shall be responsible for the proper recording of its proceedings.

The local records committee may adopt appropriate procedures for records disposition authorization, scheduling, and other matters relating to the retention, preservation, or destruction of public records of local government agencies, and may exercise such further powers as are granted by chapter 40.14 RCW or any other statute.

The local records committee shall review lists of records submitted to it for destruction authorization and may veto the destruction of any or all items contained therein.

The local records committee shall also review recurring disposition schedules recommended to it by agencies of local government and may veto, approve, or amend such schedules. Approval of a schedule or amended schedule shall be by unanimous vote of the local records committee members.

To facilitate the work of the local records committee, the state archivist shall have reasonable access to all public records, wherever kept, for the purposes of information, surveying, or cataloging them and shall perform the following duties:

(1) Provide guidelines to local governmental agencies for their assistance in preparing lists and schedules for destruction authorization.

(2) Record final actions and maintain the official files of the committee.

(3) Designate those records of county, municipal, or other local government agencies which are of primarily historical interest and arrange for document transfer to a recognized depository agency in order to relieve local officers of the burden of housing such records and to insure their preservation.

The local records committee shall meet in open public session at least quarterly to consider all business relevant to the duties of the committee, at the office of the state archivist, Olympia, Washington.