Definition
of a
Government Record
The Arizona Revised
Statutes (A.R.S.)
defines "records" as follows:
§ 41-1350. Definition of records
. . . "records" means all books, papers, maps, photographs or other documentary
materials, regardless of physical form, or characteristics, including
prints or copies of such items produced or reproduced on film or electronic
media pursuant to § 41-1348, made or received by any governmental agency
in pursuance of law or in connection with the transaction of public business
and preserved or appropriate for preservation by the agency or its legitimate
successor as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions,
procedures, operations or other activities of the government, or because
of the informational and historical value of the data contained therein.
All records media are included in this definition from the traditional paper forms to electronic types not yet even invented.
Preserved or appropriate for preservation refers to whether the document has value sufficient to place into a file and index it in a manner to facilitate later retrieval. The term does not assume any retention period or any need for permanent preservation.
Materials specifically excluded
from this statutory definition are:
. . . Library or museum material made or acquired solely for reference
or exhibition purposes, extra copies of documents preserved only for
convenience of reference and stocks of publications or documents intended
for sale or distribution to interested persons...
Updated: 06/07/2006
