§ 1206.38 - State historical records advisory board.

(a) Each State desiring to participate in the program shall define an appointment process and appoint a State historical records advisory board consisting of at least seven members, including the State historical records coordinator, who chairs the board, unless otherwise specified in state statute. The coordinator shall provide the Commission with a description of the appointment process. A majority of the members shall have recognized experience in the administration of government records, historical records, or archives. The board should be as broadly representative as possible of the public and private archives, records offices, and research institutions and organizations in the State. Board members will not be deemed to be officials or employees of the Federal Government and will receive no Federal compensation for their service on the board. They are appointed for three years with the possibility of renewal; and preferably terms are staggered so that one-third of the board is newly appointed or reappointed each year. If the board is not established in State law, members’ terms continue until replacements are appointed. The board may adopt standards for attendance and may declare membership positions open if those standards are not met.

(b) The board is the central advisory body for historical records planning and for Commission-funded projects developed and carried out within the State. The board serves as a coordinating body to facilitate cooperation among historical records repositories and other information agencies within the state and as a state-level review body for grant proposals as defined in the Commission's guidelines. Specifically, the board may perform such duties as sponsoring and publishing surveys of the conditions and needs of historical records in the State; soliciting or developing proposals for projects to be carried out in the State with NHPRC grants; reviewing proposals by institutions in the State and making recommendations about these to the Commission; developing, revising, and submitting to the Commission State priorities for historical records projects following guidelines developed by the Commission; promoting an understanding of the role and value of historical records; acting in an advisory capacity to the state archives and other statewide archival or records agencies; and reviewing, through reports and otherwise, the operation and progress of projects in the State financed by NHPRC grants.