Delaware Code Title 29. State Government § 502. Definitions

(1) “Agency” means any office, department, board, commission or other separate unit of government of this State, including all branches of government:  Executive, legislative and judicial.

(2) “Archival record” means those records that contain significant information about the past or present or provide significant evidence of the organization, policies, procedures, decisions and essential transactions of public business and are therefore worthy of long-term preservation and systematic management for historical and other research.

(3) “Custodian of public records” means the person designated, pursuant to § 520 of this title, or who is otherwise responsible for the creation or maintenance of public records.

(4) “Electronic record” means a public record that is stored, generated, received or communicated by electronic means for use by, or storage in, an information system or for transmission from one information system to another.

(5) “Governing body” means the county council, levy court, city or town council, board or commission or other body authorized by law to govern the affairs of local government.

(6) “Local government” means any county, city, town, municipality or other government, created by an act of the General Assembly, that is not a state agency, department, board or commission.

(7) “Political subdivision” includes counties, cities, towns, districts, authorities and other public corporations and entities whether mandated by the Constitution or formed by an act of the General Assembly.

(8) “Public record” means any document, book, photographic image, electronic data recording, paper, sound recording or other material regardless of physical form or characteristics, including electronic records created or maintained in electronic information systems, made, used, produced, composed, drafted or otherwise compiled or collected or received in connection with the transaction of public business or in any way related to public purposes by any officer or employee of this State or any political subdivision thereof.

(9) “Records officer” means any person or persons designated according to the provisions of this chapter, whose responsibilities include the development and oversight of agency or local government records management programs.

(10) “Records retention and disposition schedule” means a list or other instrument describing records and their minimum retention periods which is issued by the Delaware Public Archives.

(11) “Vital records” means those records which contain information required for government to continue functioning during a disaster, protect the rights of Delaware citizens and document the obligations of Delaware government, and reestablish operations after a calamity has ended.