2-6-1205. Disposal of local government public records prohibited prior to offering -- central registry -- notification. (1) A local government public record that is more than 50 years old may not be destroyed unless it is first offered to the Montana historical society, the state archives, Montana public and private universities and colleges, local historical museums, local historical societies, Montana genealogical groups, and the general public.

(2) The availability of a public record to be destroyed must be noticed to the entities listed in subsection (1) at least 30 days prior to disposal.

(3) (a) Claimed records must be given to entities in the order of priority listed in subsection (1).

(b) All expenses for the removal of claimed records must be paid by the entity claiming the records.

(c) The local government records committee shall establish procedures by which public records must be offered and claimed pursuant to this section.

(d) The local government records committee shall develop and maintain a central registry of the entities identified in subsection (1) who are interested in receiving notice of the potential destruction of public records pursuant to this section. The registry must be constructed to allow a local government entity to notify the local government records committee when the entity intends to destroy documents covered under this section and allow the local government records committee to subsequently notify the entities in the registry. A local government entity's notice to the local government records committee pursuant to this subsection (3)(d) and the records committee's notice to the entities listed on the registry fulfill the notification requirements of this section.

(4) A local government entity shall ensure that any record that contains confidential information or is otherwise protected from disclosure is not added to the central registry under subsection (3).