Mississippi Code Title 25. Public Officers and Employees; Public Records § 25-59-15. Duties of agencies and officials

(a) Cooperate with the department in complying with the provisions of this chapter.

(b) Establish and maintain an active and continuing program for the economical and efficient management of records.

(c) Cause to be made and preserved records containing adequate and proper documentation of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures and essential transactions of the agency or office and designed to furnish the information necessary to protect the legal and financial rights of the government and of the persons directly affected by the agency's activities.

(d) Submit to the department for review by the state records committee and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the department, a recommended retention schedule for records in its custody, except schedules for certain types of records common to all agencies or offices which may be established by the department and the state records committee.  No records will be scheduled for retention any longer than is absolutely necessary in the performance of the required functions of the agency or office.  Records not actively required for the performance of the agency's or official's duties will be transferred to the records center or the Mississippi State Archives in accordance with rules and regulations established by the department.  Records which have been identified as archival, or which must be retained permanently, may be transferred directly to the Mississippi State Archives, consistent with the provisions of this chapter.

(e) As of the effective date of this chapter, state agencies and appointed or elected state officials shall not lease additional space for records storage or renew existing leases for that purpose without approval of the state records committee.  Further, with the development of records control schedules, such records now in storage in leased offsite facilities will be removed from them in accordance with the rules and regulations of the department.

(f) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to divest state agency heads or appointed or elected state officials of the authority to determine the nature and form of records acquired in the administration of their several responsibilities.