PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Right To Know Advisory Committee Concerning Membership of the Archives Advisory Board
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §96, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 50, §12, is amended to read:
 
2. Members.   The Archives Advisory Board consists of  9 12 voting members with expertise in the administrative, fiscal, legal and historical value of records. Voting members of the board must represent the spectrum of records in the State and are appointed by the Secretary of State as follows:
 
A. Two public members representing the interests of public access to government records, recommended by a public interest group;
 
B. Two members from municipal or county government with expertise in local government records, recommended by local or county government entities;
 
C. One member representing a state or local historical society, recommended by a state or local historical society;
 
D. One member with expertise in the legal requirements of records retention and public records law, recommended by the Attorney General;
 
E. One member with expertise in the State's fiscal requirements of records retention, recommended by the Governor;
 
F. One member from the executive branch with expertise in executive branch records, recommended by the Governor; and
 
G. One member from the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Office of Information Technology with expertise in electronic records, electronic records management systems and emerging technology related to electronic records, recommended by the Governor.;
 
H.  Two members representing journalists, newspapers, broadcasters and other news media interests; and
 
I.  One member representing advocates for the protection of personal privacy interests.
 
The State Archivist serves as a nonvoting member.
 
SUMMARY
This bill implements the recommendations of the Right To Know Advisory Committee in the Fourteenth Annual Report of the Right to Know Advisory Committee concerning the membership of the Archives Advisory Board.
This bill adds 3 members to the Archives Advisory Board to ensure that journalists, newspapers, broadcasters and other news media as well as personal privacy protection advocates are represented in the expertise involved in the development of records retention schedules.